Comedy legend Cosby defiant over rape claims as new accuser emerges in US

Bill Cosby and wife, Camille. Photo / AP

Veteran comedy star Bill Cosby struck a defiant pose and lapped up standing ovations at one of his live shows in America at the weekend as he faced down growing allegations of rape and sexual assault made publicly by more than a dozen women.

Raising a clenched fist, 77-year-old Cosby was cheered at his stand-up comedy show in Melbourne, Florida, where diehard fans turned up in droves to support the enduring television superstar known by the affectionate moniker of "America's Dad".

But by yesterday a 13th woman, Kristina Ruehli, had identified herself and more details emerged from others accusing him of sexual aggression and rape from the 1960s up to 2005.

Watch: Audience shows love for cosby

The number of women who have, either anonymously or openly, now accused Cosby has risen to 17, with an unusually large number talking on camera.

So many victims of alleged sexual assault, from many walks of life, are now going public to talk unashamedly about their experiences in America that experts are hailing it as the most significant cultural shift against rape in a generation.

Ruehli, 71, said Cosby tried to force her into oral sex in 1965 when she was a 22-year-old secretary at his talent agency.

He has never been charged with a crime and settled a lawsuit in 2005.

Ruehli said: "I don't need money or aggravation. I'm very wealthy, so I have nothing to gain. But I wanted to come forward to tell the truth to back up other people."

Despite 11 women going public in the past 10 days, Cosby has refused to comment. In an interview with a Florida newspaper on Saturday, he said: "I know many people are tired of me not saying anything, but a guy does not have to answer to innuendo."

His legal team has dismissed the women's claims as, variously, old and discredited, preposterous, illogical, fantastical or "absolutely false".

However, a planned television comeback for Cosby has stalled and reruns of his hit 80s sitcom have been cancelled. The Cosby Show made him an international celebrity in the 80s and a role model for many African-Americans, with its depiction of a successful middle-class family.

Shows in six states on Cosby's current tour were cancelled over the weekend, though more than 25 shows remain on his schedule.

One of the most striking aspects is how many women have spoken publicly. Recent rows in the US about rape in the military and sexual violence on university campuses have also been marked by women going public.

"I've been in this field for 30 years and many more people are coming forward now than in the past to identify themselves and talk in detail and without shame about sexual assault," said Dr Connie Best, a clinical psychologist at the US National Crime Victims' Research and Treatment Centre in South Carolina. " It's the most dramatic change in the anti-rape movement since the 70s."

Crumbling career

Bill Cosby has seen a career resurgence begin to crumble.

Here's what has happened this month:
• Appearances on The Queen Latifah Show and Late Show With David Letterman were cancelled.
• NBC has scrapped a Bill Cosby sitcom that was in development.
• TV Land has pulled The Cosby Show reruns off the air.
• Netflix indefinitely postponed rolling out Bill Cosby 77, an original stand-up special.
• Eight of at least 36 performances in a stand-up comedy tour of the US and Canada have been cancelled. Spokesmen for two of the venues cited the widening scandal as the reason for the cancellations; the rest gave no reason.

A timeline on the life and career of comedian and entertainer Bill Cosby including recent controversy surrounding allegations of sexual assault.

- AP