Actress Lili Bernard is continuing to pursue her case against Bill Cosby.
Bernard, an alleged victim of Cosby’s, states that she was drugged and raped in 1990 by the disgraced actor under the guise that he was her mentor. It has been reported that the two met while on the set of The Cosby Show when Bernard guest-starred as Mrs. Minifield in 1984.
The lawsuit was filed under New Jersey’s two-year lookback window. This window grants sexual abuse survivors to go forward with civil claims against their abusers. According to the lawsuit, she is reportedly seeking $25 million.
In a statement about the lawsuit, Bernard said, “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,” Bernard said in a statement. “Although it occurred long ago, I still live with the fear, pain, and shame every day of my life.”
The lawsuit also states that Bernard met Cosby while on the set of the aforementioned show The Cosby Show, where he offered to be her mentor. The “mentoring session” would eventually end up at the Trump Taj Mahal Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, where Cosby made her a non-alcoholic drink.
After consuming the drink, Bernard began to feel dizziness, an urge to vomit, and weakness before becoming unconscious. She claimed that she woke up to Cosby naked on top of her and remembers telling him “no.”
There are alleged documents of Cosby threatening Bernard after the assault, including claims that he would sue the actress for defamation of character.
In June, Cosby was released from Pennsylvania corrections facility after serving two years on a three to ten-year sentence on charges for an alleged assault that took place in 2004 assault. The guilty verdict was overturned by the state supreme court for a “non-prosecution agreement.”