Andrea Constand breaks her silence: 'It was Dr. Huxtable ... Who's going to believe me?'

[DonViejo]

Source: CNN




By Dakin Andone, CNN

Updated 11:21 AM ET, Fri June 1, 2018

(CNN)The woman whose accusations against Bill Cosby resulted in the comedian being found guilty of indecent assault is speaking out.

In an episode of NBC's "Dateline" set to air Friday night, Andrea Constand said she initially kept the assault secret because she thought no one would believe her.

"It was Bill Cosby. It was Dr. Huxtable," Constand said, referencing the kindly, sweater-wearing father that Cosby played on television. "I thought I was the only person that he did this to," she said in a portion of the interview aired on Thursday's edition of NBC's "Nightly News with Lester Holt." "Who's going to believe me?"

Though dozens of women came forward to accuse Cosby of sexual assault, Andrea Constand's allegations were the only ones tried in court. In April, that case saw Cosby found guilty of drugging and indecently assaulting Constand in 2004.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/01/us/andrea-constand-bill-cosby-nbc-interview/index.html

[elleng]

1. Of course!

[The Wielding Truth]

2. It's easier to be a predator when you have power to hide behind.Trump is also a slimy predator!

[NastyRiffraff]

3. This is exactly why women are reluctant to come forward

The predator who uses sexual assault as a weapon he's entitled to is usually someone with much more power than the victim. It's normally a boss, a powerful client, or of course a well-liked celebrity who makes sure her accusation is not only contradicted, but she is mocked, fired, or even sued. Her reputation is often in tatters.

It's hard to win; if she doesn't come forward RIGHT AWAY, rape kit in hand, she's dismissed because she didn't. If she does come forward quickly, see above about the mocking, firing, suing.

[pandr32]

4. Her sexual history is also put on trial

...in order to insinuate that unless she was a virgin she must be loose, or slutty. And then there was her style of dress that seems to imply loose morals as well: pants are slutty and a dress shows curves (so her body is on display and men can't help themselves).
Also, did she fight? If not it must have been consensual, and if she did she probably enjoys rough sex.

A rape kit in hand and a quick accusation can also be construed as vengeful. Women love to falsely accuse men of rape because of guilt for having loose morals in the first place; because it was a one night stand and he did not commit to seeing her again; because she wanted to blackmail him and ruin his life; or because she is jealous of his power and success.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't

[Haggis for Breakfast]

5. Cosby could have avoided this entire thing

If he'd kept his mouth shut.

Part of the sealed agreement between Constand and Cosby was that neither party was to discuss any portion of the arrangement in public. However, a few years ago, Cosby starting shooting off him mouth about the agreement and Andrea Constand, besmirching her in the process. This left him open to charges being filed.

Like so many other powerful men, these mega-egos just can't keep their mouths shut and feel the need to brag and drag their victims through the muck all over again.

Once her attorneys filed, the flood gates opened. He has no one to blame but himself.

[Heidi]

6. He could have avoided the whole thing by not drugging and raping her in the first place.

I believe it's all a power thing: incapacitating women, rapist them, then gaslighting them after the fact.