'It Affects Your Life In Ways You Can't Expect': Bill Cosby Survivors Speak Out
In 2005, Andrea Constand accused Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting her a year earlier. The Montgomery County (Pennsylvania) district attorney declined to press charges, but Constand, along with 13 other women who came forward and accused Cosby of sexual assault after Constand's story became public, filed a civil suit that was eventually settled out of court. That might have been the end of it, as the story largely fell under the radar and Cosby maintained his facade as beloved celebrity and "America's Dad." But in 2015, a video of comedian Hannibal Buress describing the accusations against Cosby during a comedy routine went viral -- and the case came roaring back to life.
Ultimately, more than 60 women accused Cosby of sexual assault. The statute of limitations had passed in the majority of these cases, but Constand was still able to press charges. In 2018, Cosby was found guilty of penetration with lack of consent, penetration while unconscious, and penetration after administering an intoxicant. He was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison.
