Bill Cosby’s wife would rather not get dragged into his latest legal woes. Or so it seems.
Days after Cosby filed a defamation lawsuit against seven women who accused him of sexual assault, his lawyers are fighting a subpoena for his wife’s deposition.
An attorney for the seven women has subpoenaed Camille Cosby to be deposed on January 6 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
In return, Cosby’s attorneys filed papers in a federal court in the same state Friday, saying Camille Cosby should not have to give a deposition because she has no “first-hand knowledge” of the women’s claims.
The seven accusers are among about 50 women who have publicly accused Bill Cosby, 78, of sexually assaulting them over four decades.
‘Unnecessary, unreasonable’
Bill Cosby’s attorneys said information from the couple’s private conversations is privileged.
“Information that was the subject of confidential communications between Mrs. Cosby and defendant is protected by Massachusetts’ spousal disqualification rule,” they said.
The seven women said they subpoenaed Camille Cosby because she was her husband’s business manager, according to Cosby’s attorneys.
They accused the women of trying to subject Camille Cosby to the shame of answering questions about her husband’s alleged infidelities.
Defamation countersuit
Cosby’s defamation lawsuit was a countersuit against the seven women, who had sued him for defamation. In their original suit, the women said Bill Cosby portrayed them as liars after they went public with their allegations.
Cosby countersued Monday, saying by accusing him of sexual assault, they hurt his reputation and derailed plans for his new family comedy on NBC.
Lawyer: Cosby not the victim
Cosby is seeking unspecified damages and public retractions from the seven women: Tamara Green, Therese Serignese, Linda Traitz, Louisa Moritz, Barbara Bowman, Joan Tarshis and Angela Leslie.
But their lawyer, Joseph Cammarata, says they are the victims, not the actor.
Cammarata said his clients want their day in court and “expect that their good name and reputation will be restored.”
Cosby has denied he sexually assaulted any of the seven women. He has not been charged with any crime.
Camille Cosby
Camille Cosby married the entertainer in 1964 when she was 19.
Last year, she released a statement supporting her husband, describing him as a victim of unvetted accusations.
“The man I met, and fell in love with, and whom I continue to love, is the man you all knew through his work,” she said.
“He is a kind man … and a wonderful husband, father and friend.”
