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Bill Cosby rape allegations: what you need to know

Contributors: Vox Staff

Image credit: Jemal Countess/Getty

80-year-old comedian Bill Cosby, once beloved as "America's dad," has been accused of sexual misconduct by dozens of women over a period of several decades. Around 60 have now come forward to say Cosby either sexually assaulted them or attempted to, in incidents occurring from the early 1960s (when Cosby was a young comedian and TV star on the rise) to the late 2000s.

The alleged victims tell similar stories: They say Cosby either drugged them or that they lost consciousness and awoke to discover or suspect they'd been assaulted. This pattern of behavior flew under the radar for years.

In June 2016, a Pennsylvania jury could not come to an agreement on whether he drugged and sexually assaulted one woman, Andrea Constand, resulting in a mistrial. A retrial began April 2. And this time — during the #MeToo era — jurors will hear testimony directly from five accusers.

43 Total Updates Since
Oct 21, 2014, 3:20pm EDT

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October 1
Bill Cosby is in prison. But the first real #MeToo trial hasn’t happened yet.

By Anna North

The true test of the movement’s impact on the criminal justice system has yet to come.
September 26
The hypocritical moralizing of Bill Cosby

By P.R. Lockhart

Years before being sentenced to prison for sexual assault, Cosby presented himself as a moral leader for black America.
September 25
Bill Cosby’s spokesperson says his client and Brett Kavanaugh are victims of a “sex war”

By P.R. Lockhart

Spokesperson Andrew Wyatt also claimed Cosby was subjected to "the most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States."
September 25
Bill Cosby sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison for 2004 assault of Andrea Constand

By P.R. Lockhart

Cosby will immediately begin serving his sentence in state prison.
September 25
“Life as I knew it came to an abrupt halt”: Andrea Constand on aftermath of Cosby assault

By P.R. Lockhart

Constand’s victim impact statement was released hours before Bill Cosby’s sentencing for the 2004 incident.
September 25
Bill Cosby spent decades as “America’s Dad.” He’s about to be sentenced for a 2004 assault.

By P.R. Lockhart

The first day of Cosby’s sentencing hearing revolved around whether he is a "sexually violent predator."
May 25
The legal difference between sexual misconduct, assault, and harassment, explained

By Alexia Fernández Campbell@AlexiaCampbell

Harvey Weinstein’s arrest pushes #MeToo from the court of public opinion to the criminal court system.
April 30
I believe Bill Cosby

By Laura McGann

A juror was swayed by the comedian’s own words.
April 26
Cosby’s guilty verdict was made possible by decades of activism by black women

By Treva B. Lindsey

Long before the Cosby trial, black women paved the way for our current robust national conversation about sexual violence.
April 26
Bill Cosby found guilty of sexual assault

By Jen Kirby

The jury convicted Cosby of drugging and molesting Andrea Constand in 2004.
April 26
Bill Cosby lost. #MeToo won.

By Anna North

The Cosby retrial was the first big test for the moment of reckoning.
April 26
Eden Tirl says Bill Cosby harassed her. She wonders why Hollywood didn’t care before #MeToo.

By Karen Turner

"Famous names came forward, and then that’s when everybody got on the bandwagon."
April 16
Cosby lawyers press Andrea Constand on her motives in pursuing a $3.4 million settlement

By Jen Kirby

During hours of cross-examination, Constand denied that she fabricated the sexual assault claim against Bill Cosby to make money.
April 16
How many accusers is enough? What the Cosby trial shows about the unfinished work of #MeToo.

By Anna North

The history of allegations against Bill Cosby shows a woman’s word still isn’t seen as equal to a man’s.
April 13
Cosby attorneys personally attacked witnesses

By Jen Kirby

Five women who testified that Cosby drugged and molested them were defiant in the face of sometimes brutal cross-examination this week.
April 11
Emotional testimony dominates 3rd day of Cosby trial

By Jen Kirby

Three of Bill Cosby’s accusers took the stand on Wednesday.
April 10
Cosby defense lawyers: Andrea Constand is a “con artist”

By Jen Kirby

In the #MeToo era, Cosby’s lawyers are returning to an old playbook to discredit the accuser.
April 9
Bill Cosby paid accuser Andrea Constand nearly $3.4 million in a 2006 settlement

By Jen Kirby

Prosecutors revealed the sum during opening arguments on the first day of Cosby’s sexual assault retrial.
April 9
Bill Cosby’s retrial may be the first real test of the power of #MeToo

By Jen Kirby

The comedian, accused of drugging and molesting a woman in 2004, returns to a Pennsylvania courtroom Monday.
January 23
Bill Cosby performed last night, and it was kind of awkward

By P.R. Lockhart

The infamous actor’s first show since 2015 comes as a retrial in his sexual assault case looms.
June 27
Bill Cosby won’t teach kids how to avoid being accused of sexual assault

By Michelle Garcia

His spokespeople said Cosby will embark on a cross-country tour of town halls to discuss the topic. But that’s not the case.
June 17
The toxic pattern behind the Bill Cosby mistrial comes from rape culture

By Constance Grady@constancegrady

The jury heard five days of damning testimony against Bill Cosby. They could not reach a verdict.
June 17
The Cosby case ends in mistrial after 6 days of deliberation. Here’s how it got there.

By Michelle Garcia

Andrea Constand’s case hits another crossroads.
October 18
Trump, Cosby, Ailes: it took celebrity accusers to make us listen to sexual assault victims

By Sarah Kliff

The pattern has played out predictably in 2016.
July 19
Bill Cosby's 2005 lawsuit deposition transcript is filled with further admissions

By Todd VanDerWerff@tvoti

In the document, the comedian reveals details of a sexual relationship with one accuser and explains the way he hid his extramarital encounters from his wife.

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