Longtime comedian and actor, Bill Cosby has dropped the lawsuit filed back in February of this year against Andrea Constand. The lawsuit stated that Andrea Constand breached the terms of an agreement made back in 2006. Constand and her lawyer Dolores Troiani willingly cooperated with the Montgomery County district attorney’s criminal investigation into sexual assault allegation against Cosby in 2004. The agreement “expressly prohibited such cooperation, according to Cosby’s lawsuit.” He denies all charges.
The lawsuit was pursued to recover the money he gave in a confidential financial agreement to Constand. The dismissal was filled July 28th in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Cosby’s lawyer said in a statement that he has “stepped away from that suit and will instead focus his efforts on defending himself against the claims that have been lodged against him.”
Cosby also included Constand’s second lawyer, Bebe H. Kivitz and Constand’s mother in the lawsuit. He claimed that they also broke that confidentiality agreement. A ruling made this month said that Cosby could not sue them based on the charges that they had cooperated with law enforcement in connection with Constand’s criminal accusations against him.
Cosby faces a trial with three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault from the 2004 case concerning Constand, who is an employee at Temple University, Cosby’s Alma mater. Troiani said “The dismissal of the lawsuit was a win for Constand and her mother, Gianna Constand and it is a victory for all of the victims.”
Additionally, Cosby’s lawsuit also involved American Media Inc. (owner of the National Enquirer) The comedian claimed American Media Inc. continued to publish several stories about Constand’s claims regarding Cosby, even though there were clear requirements in the agreement to not publish any stories relating to certain allegations made.
Cosby also claimed of another violation when Constand gave an interview to the National Enquirer. Vice president and chief content officer at American Media Inc., Dylan Howard, said “We were always confident that AMI had not breached any agreement with Mr. Cosby, and we are pleased that he has decided not to pursue the litigation further.”
Costand’s claims are the first to result in charges being filed, out of over 50 women who have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct.
