TRENTON, N.J. (Legal Newsline) - Lili Bernard filed a federal complaint on October 14 in the District of New Jersey against Bill Cosby for assault, battery, intentional inflection of emotional distress, false imprisonment and punitive damages.
According to the complaint, Bernard first met Cosby in July 1990 on the set of The Cosby Show where Cosby mentored Bernard and got to know her on a more personal level, saying that if she followed his direction, he would give her a principal speaking role on the show.
During the mentoring sessions, Cosby would say that he looked at Bernard like a daughter, emphasizing her chastity and virtue and warned her of the sexual pressures of Hollywood, the suit says. Bernard alleges that Cosby even said she could call him "Daddy."
Bernard alleges that as more mentoring sessions happened, Cosby then grabbed and squeezed her breasts, and upon confrontation, Cosby acted insulted. In August 1990, Cosby then allegedly coerced Bernard to travel from New York to New Jersey with him with the lure of meeting a producer that could advance her career.
Bernard alleges that Cosby intentionally and knowingly transported her for the purpose of drugging and sexually abusing her due to the fact that when at the Trump Taj Mahal, Cosby gave her an a drink that was supposedly non-alcoholic, but Bernard began getting dizzy, weak and having the urge to vomit. Cosby then allegedly said "Daddy's going to get you something to feel better" and left the room, the suit says.
Bernard allegedly vomited then lost consciousness until she awoke to Cosby undressing her, the suit says. Bernard told him "No" and then lost consciousness again, the suit says.
When she awoke, she was naked and alone in an empty bathtub, she says. She lost consciousness again and finally awoke to Cosby next to her, handing her money and he arranged for her to be transported back to New York, the suit says. Cosby then allegedly threatened that if she went to the police, he would file a police report against her and sue her for defamation of character.
Bernard seeks more than $125,000,000. Bernard is represented by Jordan Merson.
U.S. District Court District of New Jersey case number 1:21-cv-18566