Andrea Constand, the first woman to accuse Bill Cosby of sexual assault, gave her first on-air interview Thursday in segment with NBC news — a preview segment for a later Dateline report that will air June 1 at 10p.m. Constand filed a civil suit against Cosby in 2005, alleging that Cosby sexually assaulted her with the help of pills in 2004. Her case went largely ignored until 2015, when Pennsylvania prosecutors reopened the case in light of a growing list of women who'd made accusations against Cosby. Just this year, Coby was found guilty of three second degree felony accounts against Constand.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Speaking to NBC, Constand described her experience with Cosby. At the time, she was working for Temple University in Philadelphia.
"He had three blue pills in his hand," Constand told NBC senior national correspondent Kate Snow. "I said, 'What are those?' And he said, 'They'll help you relax.'" When she questioned the nature of the pills, he said the pills were her "friends."
"I took them because I trusted that they would maybe make me feel a little more relaxed," Constand explained. Her speech became slurred and Cosby led her to the couch, where he then assaulted her. "I was a limp noodle," she described. When she woke up, Cosby offered her breakfast — tea and a muffin. According to Snow, who recounted these details on The Today Show, Constand then drove home and went to work, too ashamed to discuss what had just happened.
Despite being at the center of the widely-publicized downfall of comedian Cosby, Constand had yet to speak to press about her experience. She is among at least 60 women who have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct.
Cosby's lawyers have said they will seek an appeal in the April verdict, but, as of now, the comedian faces a potential 30 years in prison.
Watch the full segment with Constand, below.
If you have experienced sexual violence and are in need of crisis support, please call the RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).