PENNSYLVANIA
The Guardian (UK)
Jessica Valenti
After years of rumors, accusations, and finally criminal charges – entertainer Bill Cosby has been found guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand 14 years ago. The 80 year old, most famous for playing beloved television dad Cliff Huxtable, could face 15 to 30 years in prison. His first trial ended in a deadlocked jury last summer.
Cosby, who has been accused of multiple sexual assaults and rapes by nearly 60 women spanning decades, has maintained his innocence – with his lawyers smearing his accusers as liars and promiscuous.
While I hope that this verdict brings his many victims some measure of peace – as much as it can after years of their accusations being ignored – I can’t help but be reminded of one important piece of information: of all crowing we have heard over the past year about men’s lives supposedly being ruined by #MeToo, Cosby’s verdict is actually the first time we’re seeing just one of these men being held to criminal account.
For the most part, all of the outed abusers have been living their lives as they normally would, in mansions and with cushy exit deals. In fact, just this week that we found out that a handful of the men who lost their jobs as part of the #MeToo reckoning are planning their career comebacks. (Already, and seemingly all at once.)
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