Bill Cosby sued over alleged assault of 15-year-old

The comedy world has been turned on its head of late with accusations of sexual misconduct swirling around industry legend, Bill Cosby. On Tuesday, the story of the first lawsuit to be filed as a result of recent allegations (a 2005 case was settled out of court) against Cosby broke on major news outlets. Over the past several weeks, about 20 women have come forward with claims that Cosby sexually abused them or attempted to do so; the most recent among them, and the complainant in the case against Cosby, is California resident, Judy Huth.

In her suit, Huth describes meeting Cosby in 1974 on set for one of his movies in a Los Angeles park. Cosby invited Huth and her friend to meet him at a tennis club at a later date; the two girls accepted. Huth was 15 years old at the time. On the appointed day, the complaint notes, Cosby gave the two teenagers alcoholic drinks and then took them to the Playboy mansion, where Huth says the assault took place.

Huth filed a civil lawsuit and will be suing for monetary compensation for the “substantial and continuing” damages the alleged assault caused her. The case attempts to address the issue of the statute of limitations, which has expired for many acts of which Cosby is accused, by claiming that she only recently realized the harmful effects she suffered throughout her lifetime.

News of the lawsuit came at a tumultuous time for Cosby. On Dec. 1 he resigned from the board of Temple University, re-runs of “The Cosby Show” (1984 - 1992) have been pulled from television and several appearances scheduled for coming weeks have been cancelled due to the allegations.

Although he has kept some appearances — including one that occurred on Nov. 28, at which Cosby performed for a sold-out audience in Melbourne, Fla. — many people continue to speculate if the comedian’s career will weather the storm. Many, including My Fox reporter Tracy Jacim, reporting from outside the Melbourne event, have guessed that Cosby’s future sets are numbered.

“This could possibly be one of Bill Cosby’s last shows, if not his last,” Jacim said.

While Cosby has declined to answer questions or respond to the allegations throughout the course of the controversy, he broke his silence Tuesday night to thank renowned actress Whoopi Goldberg. Appearing on The View on Nov. 18, Goldberg spoke controversially, expressing her skepticism regarding the claims.

“I hope that there is justice for this lady, I hope somebody gets to the bottom of this, but I’m going to reserve my judgment ... I know we all have friends who have gone through this ... It is awkward,” Goldberg said.

While some may have taken Goldberg’s “wait-and-see” attitude to heart, the suspicion surrounding Cosby has continued to grow in the media and among people -- critics and fans alike -- who have followed his career for decades. At the very least, the growing number of questions will demand a swift and accurate investigation into this serious issue.