My jaw dropped this morning when I read about the fifth woman to publicly accuse Bill Cosby of sexual abuse. My first prayer: Father, let the truth come out.
Model Janice Dickinson flat out accused the comic genius of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 1982. The revelation came during an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight (ET).
“Stuffing feelings of rape and my unresolved issues from this incident has [driven me] into a life of trying to hurt myself,” Dickinson, 59, told ET co-host Kevin Frazier. The model, who has struggled with substance abuse for decades, set out to tell her story in a 2002 book but claims Cosby and his attorneys pressed her and publisher HarperCollins to veil the truth.
“After dinner, in my room, he had given me wine and a pill and the next morning I woke up and I wasn’t wearing my pajamas,” Dickinson said. “I remember before I passed out that I had been sexually assaulted by this man.”
Barbara Bowman, a once-aspiring actress, wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post in November accusing Cosby, best-known for his role as Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show, of assaulting her several times in 1985. She was 17 at the time and claims he drugged her once.
Cosby, 77, is not commenting on the accusations, which started to snowball after comedian Hannibal Burress labeled him a rapist as part of his stand-up comedy routine in October. His attorneys aren’t saying much, either.
“Over the last several weeks, decade-old, discredited allegations against Mr. Cosby have resurfaced,” said John P. Schmitt, Cosby’s attorney, in a statement. “The fact that they are being repeated does not make them true.”
Cosby did settle a similar suit in 2006 that Andrea Constand filed against him. Constand also claims Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted her. Tamara Green stepped forward in 2005 accusing Cosby of drugging her in the 1970s while she was a model.
Cosby has publicly confessed, “I’m a Christian.” He has adamantly professed faith in the Bible as the Word of God. He has taken a strong stand for morality. He has delivered wholesome entertainment to the masses. He has demonstrated godly fatherhood on prime time television. He’s kept it clean. Now he’s being crucified in parts of the media while speculation about rape swirls around this cultural icon.
What is the truth? Either these women are lying about the comic legend or Cosby’s attorney is part of a cover up that may ultimately include more than five women. Either way, it’s a sad day in the entertainment world and we need to avoid the trap of speculation and gossip and enter into intercession. I am praying that the whole truth come out because sexual abuse is no laughing matter—and neither are false accusations.
We know that “lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight,” (Prov. 12:22). Jesus said, “For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17). I pray in Jesus’ name that Father’s light will shine on this situation, expose the darkness, reveal truth and bring healing to the victims—whoever they are.
Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and author of several books, including The Making of a Prophet and Satan’s Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.
