Judge Agrees To Delay Camille Cosby Deposition

Mrs Cosby could be asked about intimate details of her marriage

BILL Cosby’s wife Camille has been granted a delay to her deposition in a defamation lawsuit brought by seven women.

Mrs Cosby’s lawyers filed papers in US district court in Massachusetts saying the sworn interview – set to happen on Wednesday – should not happen until an appeal is heard on whether Mrs Cosby should be required to testify at all.

On 31 December a judge rejected arguments by Mrs Cosby, the comedian’s wife of almost 52 years and his business manager, that the deposition would represent an “undue burden”.

Lawyers argued the intimate nature of the questions expected during the deposition justified a delay, noting that their ability to object to such evidence at trial would not spare their client embarrassment.

“The magistrate has suggested that the plaintiffs may ask Mrs Cosby about the most intimate details of her marital life, including her husband’s sexual ‘proclivities,'” Mrs Cosby’s lawyers wrote.

On Tuesday, US Magistrate Judge David Hennessey agreed to the postponement, saying it would be unfair to deny Mrs Cosby her right to appeal.

He added, however, that if her appeal is denied, the deposition should be rescheduled as soon as possible.

The December ruling came a day after Cosby, 78, was charged with sexually assaulting a woman who prosecutors say the comedian plied with drugs and alcohol in 2004, the only criminal case filed against the entertainer.

More than 50 women have come forward to accuse Cosby, best known for his role in the 1980s television hit The Cosby Show, of sexually assaulting them after plying them with drugs or alcohol.

Cosby has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and many of the allegations involve decades-old incidents.

He is free on $1m bail, and his lawyer has said the entertainer is not guilty and will not consider a plea bargain.

The Massachusetts civil lawsuit against Cosby was filed in December 2014 by Tamara Green, later joined by six other women, who contend that Cosby sexually assaulted or abused and then defamed them by calling each a liar, court documents said. news.sky.com