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Actress and visual artist Lili Bernard reportedly filed a lawsuit against Bill Cosby on Thursday, October 14, 2021. The former accused the comedian of intoxicating and abusing her around August 1990.
The latest claim comes just a few months after Cosby was released from prison after an overturned decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. According to CNN, court documents suggest that Cosby met Lili during The Cosby Show and offered to mentor her as an actor.
However, the 37-year-old alleged that the controversial actor made an offensive move on her during a vocal projection exercise. She further stated that the major incident mentioned in the lawsuit took place at the Trump Taj Mahal casino resort nearly two decades ago.
Everything to know about Lili Bernard
Lili Bernard is a visual artist and actress based in Los Angeles. She was born in Cuba and did her schooling in New Jersey. She graduated high school from the American School in Japan and completed her undergraduate studies at Cornell University.
She also earned a bachelor’s degree in German from City University of New York. She received her Masters of Fine Arts degree from Otis College of Art and Design in 2014. The Cuban native went on to earn critical acclaim through her work over the years.
Lili Bernard's artwork has been displayed in numerous prominent galleries, exhibitions and institutions around the world. Her art revolves around the theme of racism and trauma. It highlights the “post-colonial paradigm of suffering and resilience” based on her own life experiences.
She also ventured into acting with her role as Mrs. Minifield in the final season of The Cosby Show. She then appeared in Seinfield, Golden Years and the BBC film Murder in Oakland. Lili Bernard performed several shows in theaters across LA and off-Broadways in New York.
The artist-actress has been appreciated for her activism and role as a community organizer. She founded HABLA (Harvesting Asian, Black and Latino Artists), a community of under-represented artist groups in LA.
She also established the BAILA (Black Artists in Los Angeles) movement with the aim of including African-American artists in the mainstream art industry. Lili also works as a blogger and writer for Huffington Post.
The performer is married to Franklin L. Ferguson Jr. and shares six children with her husband. However, she mostly keeps her private life out of the public eye.
A look into Lili Bernard’s lawsuit against Bill Cosby
Lili Bernard recently made headlines after filing a fresh lawsuit against Bill Cosby for allegedly drugging and abusing her in the past. She first made the allegations against the comedian in 2015.
As per the lawsuit, Cosby offered to mentor Lili while filming The Cosby Show. He pledged to feature her in a principal role provided she gave her efforts and abided by his directions. The actor also said he would guide her through the journey in Hollywood as his own daughter.
But Lili Bernard was left shocked by Cosby's act of misconduct during an exercise. She further alleged that the California Suite actor abused her after intoxicating her without consent.
She also said the comedian allured her to the Trump Taj Mahal resort in the pretense of a business meeting on the day of the incident.
As per CNN, Bill Cosby’s spokesman denied all the claims made by Lili Bernard on Thursday, stating that the allegations lack substantial evidence:
"This is just another attempt to abuse the legal process, by opening up the flood gates for people, who never presented an ounce of evidence, proof, truth and/or facts, in order to substantiate their alleged allegations."
He also mentioned that Cosby is innocent and ready to fight the accusations made against him in court:
"Mr. Cosby continues to maintain steadfast in his innocence and will vigorously fight ANY alleged allegations waged against him and is willing and able to take this fight to the highest court in the United States of America."
However, Lili has continued to maintain her stance and said she looks forward to the legal battle:
"I have waited a long time to be able to pursue my case in court and I look forward to being heard and to hold Cosby accountable for what he did to me. Although it occurred long ago, I still live with the fear, pain and shame every day of my life."
The artist has alleged that she continues to suffer from “psychological, physical and mental trauma” because of the incident and has demanded $125 million in damages.
