Retired attorney Tamara Green filed a defamation lawsuit against Bill Cosby on Wednesday. Green claims statements made by Cosby representatives have ruined her reputation.
Tamara Green, 66, filed suit against Cosby in Massachusetts District Court, not far from where Cosby owns a home. Green states that Cosby, through his attorneys and publicists, has tarnished her reputation by repeatedly denying her allegations against Cosby. Green maintains the repeated public denials branded her a liar and opened her up to ridicule, public contempt, and disgrace. Green’s attorney, Joseph Cammarata, tells People his client filed the defamation suit to “restore her good name and reputation.”
Tamara Green’s accusations against Bill Cosby concern an incident Green claims happened in the 1970s. According to her, Cosby drugged her while the two were on a lunch date, and he later sexually assaulted her while the two were at her apartment.
Green first shared her story back in February of 2005 with Philadelphia Daily News and again told her story this year to The Washington Post and Newsweek . As reported by People , Tamara Green was the first of 13 women to go public with allegations against Cosby in 2005.
While Cosby representatives have not yet responded to the defamation suit filed by Green, Attorney Walter M. Phillips, Jr. recently addressed Green’s accusations against his client. In a statement to The Washington Post last month, Phillips insisted that Green’s claims are false.
“Mr. Cosby does not know the name Tamara Green or Tamara Lucier [her maiden name] and the incident she describes did not happen.”
Phillips went on to say publishing a story without corroboration that purportedly happened 30 years ago is irresponsible on the part of the press. Bill Cosby’s legal team also suggests Green’s credibility is questionable as her law license was suspended in 2004. Green maintains the license suspension related to an overdraft that occurred when she deposited a retainer check into the wrong bank account, and her license was later reinstated.
According to TMZ , Green’s lawsuit may actually have a chance of going forward as the statute of limitations for defamation is one year.
“Green seems to have found a loophole to drag Cosby into court. Almost all the allegations against him are more than 40 years old… so it’s highly unlikely he’d face criminal charges. But his denials are more recent, so Green’s suit has a shot of getting to court.”
Tamara Green is seeking punitive and compensatory damages, as well as attorney’s fees.
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