This Thursday saw a win for Bill Cosby in a Pennsylvania as a federal judge sided with the troubled star and granted Cosby’s motion, his motion was to dismiss a defamation lawsuit.
In October Renita Hill, one of 50 women who have accused Cosby of assault, filed a civil suit alleging that Cosby and his lawyer had defamed her i the media.
However, Judge Arthur J. Schwab dismissed the claims because he said that the statements “do not support a claim for defamation as defined by Pennsylvania law,”
The claim had cited three instances according to CNN. They reported:
In November 2014, following Hill’s public accusation of rape, Cosby and his lawyer told The Washington Post that the women coming forward had “unsubstantiated, fantastical stories.”
That same day, Cosby declined to respond to the “innuendos” being made about him to Florida Today, stating that “people should fact-check.”
Shortly afterward, the comedian’s wife, Camille Cosby, wrote a letter to The Washington Post claiming that news organizations failed to “vet” her husband’s accusers.
The multiple claims were labelled “pure opinion” and a “far cry from labeling [Hill] (and the other women who have made similar public assertions) as liars or extortionists.” by the Judge.
Cosby’s lawyers said in a statement:
“None of the facts alleged by [Hill] supported her claims for defamation, false light, or intentional infliction of emotional distress under Pennsylvania law,”
“It is our hope that courts in other jurisdictions with similar matters will respond in like manner.”
And Hill’s lawyer will be appealing the decision saying:
“We are disappointed, but remain committed to seeking justice in this matter. We strongly disagree with the judge’s reasoning that Cosby’s statements are constitutionally protected opinions,”
Read more on CNN here.
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