Celebrity News December 11, 2014
Beverly Johnson Claims Bill Cosby Drugged Her, Reveals Shocking Details
Legendary supermodel Beverly Johnson claims Bill Cosby once drugged her in the mid-'80s.
Johnson penned an essay for Vanity Fair in which she details the events. She wrote that while growing up she was in awe of Cosby, and when she was being considered for a small role on “The Cosby Show,” she was ecstatic.
After meeting Cosby, Beverly wrote that the comedian seemed "genuinely" interested in helping her get to "the next level,” so when Cosby asked her to his home one afternoon to read for the part, Johnson didn't hesitate.
This is where things took a wrong turn, according to Johnson. She writes that Cosby insisted she drink some coffee after she politely refused, and after a few sips, she quickly realized she had been drugged.
The model/actress wrote, "Now let me explain this: I was a top model during the '70s, a period when drugs flowed at parties and photo shoots like bottled water at a health spa. I'd had my fun and experimented with my fair share of mood enhancers. I knew by the second sip of the drink Cosby had given me that I'd been drugged — and drugged good.”
Even as the drug took hold, Johnson claimed she was able to go into “automatic-survival mode” and yelled at Cosby, "You are a motherf**ker, aren't you?"
According to Johnson, Cosby immediately bristled at her defiance. "I recall his seething anger at my tirade and then him grabbing me by my left arm hard and yanking all 110 pounds of me down a bunch of stairs.” She claims he then shoved her into a taxi to go home.
After decades of silence, Johnson says she's only now telling her story after hearing other women's allegations, including Barbara Bowman and her friend, fellow supermodel Janice Dickinson. "Over the years I've met other women who also claim to have been violated by Cosby. Many are still afraid to speak up," Beverly wrote. "I couldn't sit back and watch the other women be vilified and shamed for something I knew was true."
So far, more than 20 women have come forward accusing Cosby, 77, of sexual assault.
While representatives for Cosby have not responded to Johnson's claims, Cosby's lawyer, Marty Singer, released a statement last month regarding the "alleged decades-old events" against his client, saying they are "unsubstantiated stories” and asking the media to stop the "vilification of Mr. Cosby."
Cosby settled a civil suit with an alleged victim in November, 2006.