New Bill Cosby accuser comes forward

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Bill Cosby still isn't saying anything, but more of the women who he allegedly assaulted are coming forward and sharing stories of his abuse.

Allegations against Cosby, 77, first surfaced years ago, but took on a new life after another comedian, Hannibal Buress, called him a rapist during a stand-up routine last month.

Some 13 women have reportedly accused Cosby of sexual assault, but just two, Barbara Bowman and Tamara Green have come forward. The rest have settled out of court.

Now, music industry publicist Joan Tarshis has come forward with her story. She has previously declined to share her story with tabloids, but was prompted to speak out after the "flood of recent Cosby coverage has changed her mind."

On Jeffrey Wells' blog, Hollywood Elsewhere, Tarshis describes meeting Cosby in 1969, when she was 19. After they were introduced, she visited the set of The Bill Cosby Show several times.

"One day he asked me to stay after the shooting and work on some material with him. I was even more flattered and thought this would help move my writing career along. In his bungalow he made me a redeye, and I began to tell him about the earthquake Los Angeles had just had and the sound it made. He liked my ideas for an earthquake bit.

"The next thing I remember was coming to on his couch while being undressed. Through the haze I thought I was being clever when I told him I had an infection and he would catch it and his wife would know he had sex with someone. But he just found another orifice to use. I was sickened by what was happening to me and shocked that this man I had idolized was now raping me. Of course I told no one."

Later, he invited her to the Westbury Music Theater. Unable to admit to her mother what happened, Tarshis felt corned into going. In the limo, she says, he plied her with alcohol and recalled seeing bottles full of pills.

"When we got to Westbury and he went on, there was no seat for me. I stood in the back of the theater with his chauffeur, feeling insulted that I wasn't respected enough to be given a reserved seat. But soon after, I remember feeling very, very stoned and asking his chauffeur to take me back to the car. I was having trouble standing up. The next thing I remember was waking up in his bed back at the Sherry, naked. I remember thinking 'You old [expletive], I guess you got me this time, but it's the last time you'll ever see me.'"

Hearing other alleged victims, Tardish said she needed to open up about her own experiences with Cosby.

"But during those years as I grew into adulthood, I watched Cosby be praised by everyone from presidents to Oprah to the Jello Corporation," she said.

"It all made me ill, knowing first-hand there was something unbalanced about him," Tardish continued. "I had heard and/or strongly suspected I was not the only white girl he had drugged and raped but I never had any proof. No one began talking until 2004. And though I knew I should say something, I still felt ashamed. Ashamed that I didn't earlier."

Cosby was given the opportunity to respond to the various accusations against him in an interview with Scott Simon that aired on NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday. Given several opportunities to speak on the issue, Cosby simply shook his head silently.

His lawyer issued a statement on billcosby.com, refusing to "dignify" the "discredited allegations."

"Over the last several weeks, decade-old, discredited allegations against Mr. Cosby have resurfaced," attorney John Schmitt wrote. "The fact that they are being repeated does not make them true. Mr. Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment."