Thirty-five of Bill Cosby's alleged victims are coming forward in a very public way this week: On the cover of New York magazine. The in-depth feature includes the stories of each individual accuser, along with group photos and a wrenching essay by Noreen Malone, who is a senior editor at the publication.
"In the '60s, when the first alleged assault by Cosby occurred, rape was considered to be something violent committed by a stranger, " Malone wrote. "But among younger women, and particularly online, there is a strong sense now that speaking up is the only thing to do, that a woman claiming her own victimhood is more powerful than any other weapon in the fight against rape."
For many of Cosby's alleged victims, this story marks the end of of their anonymity — and, along with that, a cri de coeur to be heard and seen, their trauma acknowledged. "I went into this thinking he was going to be my father," said Barbara Bowman, who claims she was assaulted by the comedian in the 1980s. "I could have walked down any street of Manhattan at any time and said, ‘I’m being raped and drugged by Bill Cosby,’ but who the hell would have believed me?" she said. "Nobody, nobody.”
The feature appears both in the New York print edition for the week of July 27, as well as online. The digital version includes additional video interviews. On June 29, The New York Times published previously unseen depositions in which Bill Cosby admitted to giving women quaaludes; no formal charges have been filed against him at this time.
Currently, the New York magazine site is down. Check back later to read the story in its entirety; in the meantime, the outlet is sharing excerpts via Instagram.
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