Victoria Valentino’s Attorney Jeff Anderson Responds
Last week, when Victoria Valentino filed a lawsuit against Bill Cosby for sexual assault, his public relations staffer claimed the comedian’s dozens of victims are conspiring against him for money.
Cosby spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt, recently told reporters that “In my opinion, these women are not victims of sexual assault, they are victims of greed,” and are part of a “formula” used to disparage and discredit successful Black men, including Cosby and R. Kelly (who was convicted in 2022 of multiple child pornography and child sex-abuse charges.)
Wyatt and Cosby clearly have one goal: to make more victims too afraid and disheartened to come forward.
In response to Wyatt’s claims, we’d like to share the following:
- Approximately 60 women have come forward with claims against Bill Cosby. We know false accusations of sexual assault are rare. Add in the factor of Cosby being a powerful and beloved celebrity and it’s clear – these survivors are telling the truth. To insinuate that so many women are lying is not only disparaging – it’s statistically improbable.
- To suggest that survivors are only coming forward for monetary reasons is incredibly insulting. After working with survivors for decades, we know that they would give almost anything to erase the pain and trauma they have been through.
- In a 2005 deposition, Cosby admitted to using Quaaludes on young women in order to have sex with the women and admitted to knowing this was illegal. In 2022, a Santa Monica jury found Cosby liable for the sexual assault of a minor female, awarding her monetary damages. All of this points away from Wyatt’s claim of false accusations and towards Cosby being a prolific predator.
- In regards to Wyatt’s claim about race, we want to make one thing very clear – this case was never about race, this case is about rape.
Furthermore, Wyatt also said it’s “deeply disturbing and disappointing” that the statute of limitations was lifted in “sheer violation of all American’s Constitutional Rights.” When someone is resistant to giving survivors of sexual assault a second chance at justice, that says a lot about the person. What type of people wouldn’t be supportive of sexual assault survivors obtaining justice? The answer is simple: perpetrators and the people that cover-up their crimes.
Wyatt’s claims are inaccurate falsehoods rooted in desperation. We will continue to stand with Victoria and all survivors who have been traumatized by Bill Cosby.