Bill Cosby’s Lawyers Step Up Legal Claims Against Accuser Andrea Constand

Attorneys for scandal-plagued comedian outline numerous alleged breaches in 2006 settlement agreement

Bill Cosby
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Attorneys for scandal-plagued comedian Bill Cosby turned up the heat in their legal skirmish with former Cosby accuser Andrea Constand on Thursday, filing court papers detailing numerous alleged breaches of Cosby’s settlement agreement with Constand and attaching correspondence detailing the back-and-forth between the attorneys for both parties.

Constand, a former Temple University employee, alleged sexual assault by Cosby in a 2005 suit, eventually settling with Cosby the next year. In a memorandum filed in federal court on Wednesday, the comedian’s legal team provides a laundry list of alleged breaches of the settlement on Constand’s part.

Much of the memo pertains to the deposition that Cosby underwent in relation to the case, which was obtained by and reported on by the New York Times over the weekend. According to Cosby’s lawyers, the court reporter claimed to “have had no idea that the deposition was supposed to be treated as confidential,” even though the settlement agreement called for Constand and her legal team to “use their best efforts to ensure that their respective … consultants, agents …. and  vendors comply with the confidentiality provisions” of the settlement agreement.

Cosby’s team also contends that Constand violated the confidentiality provision with a number of tweets, including a February 2014 tweet in response to an article about the case, in which Constand allegedly wrote, “I won’t go away, there is a lot more I will say.”

Constand is seeking to void the 2006 confidentiality agreement because she has “come to the realization that she once again must defend herself in the forum chosen by the defendant.”

In Thursday’s filing, Cosby’s lawyers contend that Constand’s motion itself is a violation of the agreement, as the agreement contained a requirement to first submit disputes to a judge for private resolution.

Cosby’s team is asking the court to “enforce the Settlement agreement’s dispute-resolution provision” by referring the alleged breaches to a magistrate judge.

In recent months, Cosby has been accused of rape or sexual assault by dozens of women, with a common theme being that he allegedly drugged them beforehand.

Cosby’s attorney, Martin Singer, has denied such accusations in the past.

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

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