Playboy founder Hugh Hefner said he was sad to hear of the sexual assault allegations that his friend, comedian Bill Cosby, is facing. Hefner’s statement follows a lawsuit Cosby is facing, in which a woman claimed she was raped at the Playboy Mansion.
Hefner sent a statement to the Hollywood Reporter on Saturday, just days after Judy Huth filed her lawsuit against Cosby.
“Bill Cosby has been a good friend for many years and the mere thought of these allegations is truly saddening,” the Playboy Enterprises chief said. “I would never tolerate this kind of behavior, regardless of who was involved.”
Huth claims that she was assaulted by Cosby in 1975, when she was just 15, at the Playboy Mansion. Cosby responded in court documents by claiming that she had tried to extort him in the past. He also said that she had tried to sell her story to a tabloid in the past, so she did not suddenly remember the incident she claims happened.
In addition, P.J. Masten told CNN late last week that she was assaulted by Cosby in the 1970s in chicago, while she was a Playboy bunny. Masten claims that she knows of “12 former bunnies that I know of that are ashamed to come forward.”
The Associated Press reports that the Los Angeles Police Department has officially started an investigation into Huth’s claims after she had a meeting with detectives.
Cosby has referred to the allegations as “innuendo” that he wouldn’t respond further to. His attorney, Martin Singer, has repeatedly denied the claims and tried to discredit others.
image courtesy of INFphoto.com