Cosby discusses allegations in National Enquirer interview

Received by Newsfinder from APMar 4, 2005 0:01 Eastern Time By BILL BERGSTROMAssociated Press WriterPHILADELPHIA (AP) _ Bill Cosby, responding to a woman’s allegations of sexual molestation, said “words and actions can be misinterpreted” and told The National Enquirer that he wouldn’t give in to any attempt to “exploit” him because he is a celebrity. “Looking back on it, I realize that words and actions can be misinterpreted by another person, and unless you’re a supreme being, you can’t predict what another individual will do,” Cosby said in an interview in the Enquirer that hits newsstands Friday. “I’m not saying that what I did was wrong, but I apologize to my loving wife, who has stood by my side for all these years, for any pain I have caused her,” Cosby told the Enquirer. “These allegations have caused my family great emotional stress.” The 67-year-old entertainer was cleared of criminal charges in connection with the allegations, but the Canadian woman’s attorneys said she still planned a civil lawsuit. One of the attorneys, Dolores M. Troiani, said Thursday the civil action should be filed next week. In the interview _ under the bold headline, “MY STORY!” _ Cosby first said he didn’t want to speculate on whether money was the woman’s motive. “Let’s not go there,” Cosby said. But then he said, “I am not going to give in to people who try to exploit me because of my celebrity status.” A Cosby spokesman, David Brokaw, confirmed that Cosby had done the interview. He said Cosby wouldn’t comment further on Thursday. Cosby was interviewed by Enquirer editor Barry Levine at a Houston hotel while on tour on Feb. 21. Four days earlier, Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. had said the comedian wouldn’t face charges stemming from the allegations by a former employee at Temple University, Cosby’s alma mater. The woman, who now lives in her native Ontario, told Canadian authorities that after a night out with friends in January 2004, Cosby had given her medication that made her dizzy, and had fondled her. She said she later awoke to find her bra undone and her clothes in disarray. Cosby denied the allegations. The accuser’s family had described Cosby as a friend and mentor to the woman, which he didn’t deny. He told the Enquirer a role as mentor can lead to trouble. “Sometimes you try to help people and it backfires on you and then they try to take advantage of you,” Cosby said. “People can soil you by taking advantage.” The woman’s attorneys, Troiani and Bebe H. Kivitz, said in a statement that the interview seemed to mark a change in Cosby’s position. “We are pleased that after Mr. Cosby’s camp initially characterized our client’s allegations as bizarre and utterly preposterous, he has acknowledged that it was his conduct after all that formed the basis for her allegations,” they said in a statement. Levine said Cosby agreed to the interview with The National Enquirer, which has a circulation of 1.5 million, partly out of gratitude. The tabloid offered a $100,000 reward that led to the arrest of Mikail Markhasev, who was convicted of murdering Cosby’s son, Ennis, in a roadside robbery in 1997.