Defamation Suit Against Bill Cosby Is Dismissed

Bill Cosby scored a legal victory yesterday when a federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against him, CNN reports. Renita Hill filed the suit in October, claiming that the comedian had defamed her in public statements. Hill, who is one of the more than 50 women who have accused Cosby of sexual assault, cited three incidences in which Cosby lashed out against his accusers' statements and suggested they needed to be "fact-checked." Court papers show that Judge Arthur J. Schwab dismissed the three claims because they "do not support a claim for defamation as defined by Pennsylvania law." His ruling added that Cosby's comments were a "far cry from labeling [Hill] (and the other women who have made similar public assertions) as liars or extortionists." "None of the facts alleged by [Hill] supported her claims for defamation, false light, or intentional infliction of emotional distress under Pennsylvania law," Cosby's lawyer, Monique Pressley, said in a statement posted on Twitter. "It is our hope that courts in other jurisdictions with similar matters will respond in like manner." "We are disappointed, but remain committed to seeking justice in this matter," George Kontos, Hill's lawyer, told CNN. "We strongly disagree with the judge's reasoning that Cosby's statements are constitutionally protected opinions." Hill plans to appeal the decision.