Just hours after news spread that Bill Cosby had settled the defamation lawsuit brought against him, Cosby’s spokesman says it’s all corruption.
For those just crawling out from under a rock, more than 50 women have accused America’s Favorite Patriarch-turned-pariah of sexual assault. (Cosby is serving a three- to 10-year prison sentence after being convicted last year on three counts of indecent assault.) In 2014, seven of those women filed a civil suit against Cosby, claiming that he defamed them when he said they were lying—a suit we’re now being told was “settled.”
The terms weren’t released to the public, but on Friday, Cosby’s official spokesperson spoke out in opposition.
“Mr. Cosby did not settle any cases with anyone,” Andrew Wyatt said in a statement to CNN. “He is not paying anything to anyone, and he is still pursuing his counterclaims. AIG decided to settle these cases, without the knowledge, permission and/or consent of Mr. Cosby. Mr. Cosby vehemently denies the allegations brought against him in these defamation suits and he maintains his innocence.”
In response, AIG spokesman Matthew Gallagher said to CNN, “Certain insurance policies provide insurers with the authority to resolve claims when the insured has been informed.”
The word “informed” is the key. Cosby was informed that his case was settled. He was apparently given no choice and no voice in his own legal defense; he wasn’t a part of his own legal proceedings. He now claims, in a statement released through Wyatt, that AIG’s settlement “makes them look corrupt and exposes my innocence.” “AIG showed that they’re a part of the corruption against me, by paying off these distractors, without my knowledge, without my permission and/or without my consent,” Cosby stated. Attorney Joe Cammarata, who represents the seven plaintiffs, declined comment, citing settlement confidentiality.
Whether or not we debate if Cosby is a serial rapist (because, come on, now) the “legal system” exposed its glaring corruption through its own actions…and part of the debated settlement is that no one can talk about what happened.
Has anyone heard a version of this before?
Correction: Sept. 22, 2019, 6:45 p.m. ET: This story has been edited to remove unattributed text.