Bill Cosby faces new allegations of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed by a former actress. The actress claims that the Hollywood talent agency representing Cosby, the William Morris Agency (now William Morris Endeavor), was aware of his history of assault. According to court papers obtained on Wednesday, the lawsuit details an incident during the filming of “Hickey & Boggs” in 1971.
Cosby allegedly requested that Linda Ridgway-Whitedeer, another client of the agency, audition for a role in the film. When Ridgway-Whitedeer arrived for the audition, she expected to see others involved in the casting process. However, Cosby allegedly took her to an office and told her to sit in a chair near the door, preventing anyone from entering. It was there that he reportedly assaulted her, forcing his penis into her mouth.
A message left with Andrew Wyatt, Cosby’s public relations and crisis manager, has not been returned. There has been no immediate comment from a representative of William Morris Endeavor.
Ridgway-Whitedeer, now 77 and residing in Los Angeles, filed the lawsuit under a California law passed in 2021 that removes the statute of limitations for most sexual assault cases.
“There are two levels of betrayal at play here that put Linda in Cosby’s clutches,” said Jeff Anderson, Ridgway-Whitedeer’s attorney. “The first is Cosby’s power to lure vulnerable actresses with promises of career opportunities, only to assault them. The second level of betrayal is the William Morris Agency, which knew or should have known about Cosby’s actions but did nothing.”
In 2016, Ridgway-Whitedeer was invited to testify at a press conference at the California State Capitol in support of a bill that eliminated the statute of limitations for rape and sexual assault in the state.
Although the law does not apply retroactively, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new bill in 2022, known as the Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, which closes this loophole.
Over the years, numerous women have accused Cosby of drugging and raping them. Cosby, however, has repeatedly denied these allegations. In 2018, Cosby was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault in Pennsylvania and sentenced to three to ten years in prison. However, his conviction was overturned in 2021 by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court due to a prior agreement not to charge him.
In June 2022, Cosby was found civilly liable for the sexual assault of a woman who claimed he abused her as a teenager at the Playboy Mansion in the 1970s.
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