Inspired by E. Jean Carroll's lawsuit against former President Donald Trump and using California's "lookback" law provision, a former Playboy model is suing actor Bill Cosby and as many as 20 enablers for a previously alleged rape that occurred in 1969.
Victoria Valentino, 80, officially filed to sue Cosby, 85, for allegedly giving her a date-rape drug in 1969, becoming the first known woman to take advantage of California's "lookback" law that temporarily suspends the statute of limitations for sexual assault lawsuits through the end of this year, The Washington Post reported.
"It's not about money; it's about accountability," Valentino told the Post. "Rape steals something from you that cannot be repaired or restored."
Valentino said Carroll's winning a defamation lawsuit against Trump in New York inspired her to take advantage of California's suspension of the statute of limitations on sexual assault lawsuits.
"Her winning her case was affirmation we were doing the right thing," Valentino told The Post.
Valentino's lawsuit alleges Cosby met her in 1969 when she was an actress and singer. Then, at a Los Angeles restaurant, while mourning the recent drowning of her 6-year-old son, Valentino was given a pill by Cosby.
"Here, take this," she alleges being told. "It will make you feel better. It will make us all feel better."
There were six lawsuits filed against Cosby under New York's now-expired lookback law.
"In my opinion, these women are not victims of sexual assault; they are victims of greed," Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt told The Post, alleging there is a "formula" being used to sue Black men like Cosby and R. Kelly.
"They don't want this Black man to leave this earth as America's dad. They don't want white kids looking up to him as America's dad and wanting their fathers to be like him."
The Post could not immediately reach Cosby for comment.
Valentino's lawsuit also accuses up to 20 unnamed people, including agents and Cosby employees, that enabled the former actor and comedian. They will be revealed in the discovery portion of the legal action, according to the report.
Valentino made the date-rape allegations public in 2014 to The Post and was a presence publicly and at Cosby's 2017 criminal trial. She has been an advocate for the loosening of sexual assault lawsuit restrictions, including increasing the statue of limitations on allegations in California and other states, The Post reported.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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