Camille Cosby, Bill Cosby’s wife and business manager, will be forced to testify in a defamation suit filed by seven women. Cosby’s lawyer had fought the subpoena, arguing that she had no knowledge regarding the allegations and that testifying would be an “undue burden” for Camille.
A Massachusetts judge rejected those arguments in a ruling on New Year’s Eve. Reuters reports:
US magistrate judge David Hennessy also rejected arguments by Camille Cosby that she lacked any first-hand knowledge of the events at issue, and that the court should protect her from “unnecessary harassment” by limiting the scope of the subpoena.
Cosby’s lawyers plan to appeal the ruling, but their timeframe is a bit limited. Camille Cosby’s deposition is currently scheduled for Wednesday, January 6. It will be the first time that Camille has answered questions under oath since more than 50 women have come forward with sexual assault and rape allegations against her husband of over five decades (though she has allegedly defended her husband in private conversations).
The defamation suit was brought in December 2014 by seven women. It alleges that Cosby falsely claimed that they were lying about their sexual abuse accusations. Cosby filed a countersuit last month.
Image via AP.