About 100 people chanting “rape is not a joke” and “no means no” protested outside a theater in Denver before comedian Bill Cosby took the stage on Saturday, but his first of two performances of the night went on without a disturbance.
Earlier in the day, a woman held a news conference at a nearby hotel to accuse him of sexually assaulting her in 1986.
Beth Ferrier said during the gathering called by Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred that Cosby put drugs in her coffee when she went to see one of his shows in Denver.
Photo: AFP
“I cannot tell you how horrific of a feeling that is,” she said, adding that the next thing she remembered was waking up hours later in the back of her car “practically naked.”
Ferrier, 55, has said previously that she was assaulted by Cosby. She went public on June 23, 2005, alleging that as a model visiting New York in the early 1980s, she met Cosby and they had a brief affair.
The 77-year-old comedian is facing sexual assault accusations from at least 15 women, with some of the claims dating back decades. He has denied the allegations through his attorney and has never been charged with a crime. A statement from Cosby’s publicist was not immediately available on Saturday.
Cosby was welcomed to the stage during his first show with a standing ovation and hoots of “We love you Bill.” He did not make any reference to the allegations during the two-hour-long show.
Longtime Cosby fan Robert Belveal, 48, said the protesters outside did nothing to deter him from attending.
“I believe that if you’re not convicted of a crime, then why should you be judged? All it takes is for one person to say something, then you have all these other people wanting to get their 15 minutes of fame,” he said of Cosby’s accusers.
On Friday, Cosby performed at a packed show in Pueblo. About 25 demonstrators gathered outside, chanting “no means no” and “Colorado believes the women.”
However, inside the venue, the crowd warmly welcomed Cosby. Making his first appearance in Pueblo since a 1996 show at the Colorado State Fair, he was embraced by a mostly middle-aged and older crowd.
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