Former teen-actress asks US court to revive Cosby lawsuit
PHILADELPHIA — A former teen-actress who accuses Bill Cosby of molesting her asked a federal appeals court Friday in Philadelphia to revive her defamation lawsuit against the comedian.
Renita Hill, of Pittsburgh, said she was defamed when Cosby, his wife and his then-lawyer questioned abuse accusations raised in late 2014 by Hill and other women. Cosby lawyer Martin Singer called the new accounts “fantastical,” ”ridiculous,” ”illogical” and beyond “absurd.”
A federal court in Massachusetts has allowed seven women to sue Cosby for defamation over the statement, but a Pittsburgh judge dismissed Hill’s lawsuit.
In oral arguments Friday, the appeals court judges peppered her lawyer with questions about whether the comments amounted to defamation. They did not indicate when they would rule.