Bill Cosby appearance on Letterman canceled amid uproar

NEW YORK - Bill Cosby's upcoming appearance on CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman" has been canceled amid a growing uproar over allegations that he sexually assaulted several women in past decades.

Cosby spokesman David Brokaw confirmed Friday night that Cosby would not appear next Wednesday as previously scheduled. He did not say why.

The comedian's lawyer said Sunday he will not dignify "decade-old, discredited" claims of sexual abuse with a response, the first reaction from the comedian to the situation.

In a statement released to The Associated Press and posted online, attorney John P. Schmitt said the fact that the allegations are being repeated does not make them true.

He doesn't intend to "dignify" the allegations with a comment.

"Late Show" representative Kimberly Izzo-Emmet said, "We can't comment on the guest booking process." She said Regis Philbin would be the replacement guest.

Another canceled engagement, on "The Queen Latifah Show" on Oct. 30, was characterized by that show as a postponement granted at Cosby's request.

The allegations date back to a 2005 civil lawsuit which claimed Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted a woman in his home.

Cosby denied the accusations, but more than a dozen other women with similar stories of assault were prepared to testify against him. The case was settled before it went to trial. Now one of those witnesses is speaking out.

Actress Barbara Bowman wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post, claiming Cosby assaulted her multiple times after agreeing to act as her mentor.

The headline read: "Bill Cosby raped me. Why did it take 30 years for people to believe my story?"

The standup comedian Hannibal Buress last month brought heat on Cosby at a performance in Philadelphia. His routine, during which he assailed Cosby as "a rapist," was captured on video and posted online, gaining wide exposure.

The 77-year-old Cosby, who was never criminally charged in any of the cases, settled a civil suit in 2006 with another woman over an alleged incident two years before.

Cosby has declined to comment on the recent resurgence of allegations.