Bill Cosby refuses to answer sexual assault allegations
Social media is reviving sexual assault allegations against comedian Bill Cosby.
A woman came forward this week to say she'd been raped by the comedian years ago.
That set off a backlash, including the cancellation of an appearance on "Late Show With David Letterman" scheduled for next week.
Cosby has never been charged with sexual assault. But this is not the first time he has been accused.
Saturday morning, National Public Radio host Scott Simon asked him about it point blank.
"This question gives me no pleasure, Mr. Cosby, but there have been serious allegations raised about you in recent days," Simon said," continuing when Cosby did not respond, "You're shaking your head no."
Cosby and his wife Camille were being interviewed about the donation of their art collection to the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. but that's not what was making headlines.
"I'm in the news business. I have to ask the question," Simon said. "Do you have any response to those charges? (You're) shaking your head no."
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?"
In the article Bowman said, "I'll never forget the clicking of his belt, as he struggled to pull his pants off..."
According to Bowman, it happened in 1985, when "The Cosby Show" was the number one show on television and at the height of its popularity.
Cosby has never spoken publicly about any of the allegations, but the online backlash became aggressive this week when his Twitter account asked followers to post pictures with funny captions, using the hashtag #CosbyMeme.
The response: Classic photos of the famous TV dad with pointed comments about his alleged behavior.
The statute of limitations has run out, so Cosby can't be tried in court, but he may well be facing a battle in the court of public opinion.
