April 05, 2019 - 2:29 PM
The Latest on a settlement involving defamation lawsuits against Bill Cosby (all times local):
5:25 p.m.
A spokesman says that Bill Cosby's insurer authorized a settlement of defamation lawsuits against him and that the comedian did not personally sign off on them.
Spokesman Andrew Wyatt said in an email Friday that Cosby's insurer settled the case without the comedian's "knowledge, permission and/or consent."
Records filed Friday in Massachusetts show that seven women who filed defamation lawsuits against Cosby over his response to their sexual misconduct allegations settled their claims.
The women say Cosby labeled them liars when he and his agents denied the accusations.
The 81-year-old Cosby went to prison last fall in a separate Pennsylvania sex assault case. He is serving a three- to 10-year prison sentence.
The judge overseeing the defamation cases must still approve the settlement. The terms are not disclosed in the documents filed Friday.
___
1:40 p.m.
Bill Cosby has agreed to settle lawsuits filed by seven women who say he defamed them when he accused them of lying about sexual misconduct allegations.
Filings Friday in federal court in Springfield, Massachusetts, show the two sides have negotiated a settlement since Cosby went to prison last fall in a separate Pennsylvania sex assault case. The 81-year-old comedian is serving a three- to 10-year prison sentence there.
The federal judge overseeing the defamation case in Massachusetts must still approve the settlement. The terms are confidential.
It's not yet clear whether Cosby will now drop his counterclaims against the seven women. One of them recently died.
They are among the dozens of women who have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct. He has denied their allegations and is appealing his Pennsylvania conviction.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019