Whatever Bill Cosby‘s wife tells his accusers about her intimate life with her husband will be kept private. At least for the time being.
A judge has ordered that Cosby’s deposition, scheduled for Wednesday, will be kept under seal.
Camille Cosby has been ordered to deposition in a case brought by several of her husband’s accusers, who allege that the TV legend defamed them with statements denying their claims of sexual impropriety and assault. Cosby has filed his own cross-complaint for defamation against his accusers.
Camille Cosby has fought the deposition and, as recently as Monday, filed an emergency motion to stay the pre-trial examination. Court papers filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts claim that the plaintiffs in the case “may ask Mrs. Cosby about the most intimate details of her marital life, including her husband’s ‘proclivities,’” and that the plaintiffs “have made clear that they will publicize all such testimony.”
In his order issued Monday, U.S. magistrate judge David Hennessy noted that plaintiffs were three days late in filing their opposition to Bill Cosby‘s motion for a protective order and a proposed confidentiality agreement.
Hennessy went on to note, “any discovery — including but not limited to Camille Cosby’s deposition — occurring and/or exchanged before entry of a decision on defendant’s motion shall be sealed and deemed confidential until the court has reached such decision.”
The accusers were given a deadline of 5 p.m. Tuesday to refile their submission, which “shall be accompanied by a proper motion seeking leave and explaining why plaintiffs’ original opposition was filed when it was.” The plaintiffs filed their oppositions to Bill Cosby‘s motion on Tuesday, along with an opposition to Camille Cosby’s motion to stay her deposition.
Camille Cosby is scheduled to be deposed in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Scandal-plagued comedian Cosby has been accused of rape or sexual assault by dozens of women. His former attorney, Martin Singer, has denied the allegations in the past.
The former “Cosby Show” star has been slapped with multiple lawsuits in the wake of the scandal. He has also been charged with felony sexual assault stemming from accusations made by former Temple University employee Andrea Constand, who alleges that Cosby assaulted her in 2004.
Constand had previously sued Cosby over the alleged attack, but later settled with him.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.