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Lawyers For Bill Cosby Refute Settlement Claims In Defamation Suit

The imprisoned comedian maintains his innocence.

Embattled comic Bill Cosby has reportedly settled lawsuits filed by seven different women who claim he defamed them when he accused them of lying about being victims of sexual assault.

According to NBC News, court documents filed on Friday (April 5) in Springfield, Massachusetts, indicate that both sides have negotiated a settlement following the beginning of Cosby's prison sentence for a separate Pennsylvania sexual assault case. 

The site reports that the women sued the comedian back in 2014, claiming that he "falsely branded them as liars after they accused him of sexual abuse." The next year, the former TV dad filed a counter-suit alleging that they tarnished his character and purposefully sabotaged an upcoming television opportunity he was anticipating.

Court documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts indicate that the women's attorney, Joseph Cammarata, said "each plaintiff is satisfied with the settlement."

The terms of the settlement, however, remain confidential.

Cammarata added, in a separate motion, that he expects to file court papers requesting that a judge dismiss Cosby's suit.

The below statement, which was posted to Cosby's social media pages, however, denied that he settled "any cases" and further credits the AIG insurance firm with doing so without the "knowledge, permission and/or consent of Mr. Cosby."

"Mr. Cosby did not settle any cases with anyone," the statement reads. "He is not paying anything to anyone, and he is still pursuing his counterclaims... Cosby vehemently denies the allegations brought against him in these defamation suits and he maintains his innocence."

Cosby, 81, was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison in September 2018 after being convicted for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand.

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