In the past week, at least seven women have come forward with disturbing claims that comedian and actor Bill Cosby allegedly raped or sexually assaulted them. Barbara Bowman shared her story with the Daily Mail last week and in an op-ed for the Washington Post earlier this week, claiming that Cosby drugged her and then sexually assaulted her.
Bowman said the incident happened when she was 17-years-old and was trying to break into the acting business. Model and TV personality Janice Dickinson also accused the 77-year-old comic of sexual assault telling "Entertainment Tonight" that she was drugged and raped.
Dickinson said she tried to come forward with her story years ago when she wrote her 2002 autobiography "No Lifeguard on Duty: The Accidental Life of the World's First Supermodel" but she was bullied into omitting the information.
Now, another woman has come forward and also alleges that Cosby tried to rape her but she got away. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Carla Ferrigno (wife of actor Lou Ferrigno) recounted a time when a male friend offered to introduce her to Cosby.
"What happened is I was in Kentucky on vacation to see my family. I got back to LAX [airport] and this man maybe 30s, he came over to me and said he would love to have my phone number and take me to dinner sometime," she told the Daily Mail.
Ferrigno said this happened in 1967 when she was a Playboy Bunny working at the Playboy Club in Los Angeles.
"I was used to that," she continued. "So I said ok."
Ferrigno said the two went out to dinner and the man asked if he could bring her by Cosby's house.
"[Bill] was there. Camille. I can't remember anyone's name anymore, but I remember hers," Ferrigno said. "I will never forget her."
Shortly after arriving at the house, the group went to see a movie and then came back to Cosby's house to play pool.
"He talked to me a lot at the movies. I was uncomfortable with that because his wife was there," she said. "But he was funny. He was fun. So it was suggested we go back to his house to play some pool. And I loved that idea. I was the pool bunny at the Playboy Club. I was very good at pool."
At some point in the evening, Ferrigno said she was left alone with Cosby and that's when he tried to sexually assault her.
"We kept playing [pool]. Bill beat me. And just as I was ready to put the pool cue down he came forward at me. I thought he was reaching for the pool cue. But he came at me and grabbed me in such a powerful way. Grabbing me," she said.
"He was much bigger than me. Much bigger and he pulled me so hard and so rough. I had never been treated so roughly and he pulled me hard to him, so hard," Ferrigno continued. "And then kissed me so hard, right in the mouth. No one else has ever been that physically violent with me. I was stunned. I was frozen. I took all my body strength and used both of my arms to stop him and push him away from me. He was so forceful."
According to the Daily Mail, Ferrigno said the actor kept offering her drinks the entire night but she wouldn't drink anything. Within the last week, other women have come forward including 57-year-old Therese Serignese.
She told the Huffington Post that Cosby allegedly offered her two pills and raped her. The incident happened 38 years ago. Louisa Moritz, 68, told TMZ that Cosby forced her to perform oral sex on her before a "Tonight Show" appearance in 1971, and model Angela Leslie, 52, said in an interview with the Daily News that she was forced to inappropriately touch "The Cosby Show" star in a Las Vegas hotel back in 1992.
According to PhillyMag.com, 71-year-old Kristina Ruehli said in 1965 she was invited to a party at Cosby's house but when she showed up, she was the only person there. Ruehli alleges that the comedian drugged her and then tried to get her to perform oral sex on him.
