Bill Cosby: Hugh Hefner on comedian's 'Playboy' sex assault charges "truly saddening"

Huge Hefner on Bill Cosby's alleged rape cases: "it's truely saddening"
(usatoday)

Playboy boss Hugh Hefner has released a statement about Bill Cosby's latest alleged sexual assault victim, who claimed she was molested by the comedian in the Playboy Mansion back in 1974 at age 15.

In response to the accusation, Hefner said: "Bill Cosby has been a good friend for many years and the mere thought of these allegations is truly saddening. I would never tolerate this kind of behavior, regardless of who was involved.”

The Los Angeles police opened an investigation after a woman, Judy Huth filed the first lawsuit against Bill Cosby for sexual battery. She reportedly met with detectives for 90 minutes, said officer Jane Kim.

According to the woman's civil suit, Cosby forced her to perform a sex act on him in a bedroom of the Playboy Mansion around 1974 when she was underage.

Her legal rep, Gloria Allred told reporters at a recent press conference in L.A that Huth met with two special victim unit detectives on Friday, three days after her lawsuit was filed, "We are going to provide any and all evidence that she has," Allred said.

Meanwhile, Cosby's attorney, Martin Singer, accused Huth and another lawyer of extortion and said she attempted to sell her story to a tabloid a decade earlier.

Singer's filing states the other attorney, Marc Strecker, first demanded $100,000 for Huth to remain silent, then raised the demand to $250,000 as more women came forward accusing Cosby of sexual misconduct.

Police did not give any additional details about the investigation but Police Chief Charlie Beck on Thursday urged potential victims of sex abuse by Cosby to speak with detectives, regardless of whether their claims were outside the statute of limitations.

Cosby has been accused by more than 15 women in recent weeks of sexual misconduct, ranging from groping to drugging and raping. He has never been charged with a crime, and his attorneys have denied many of the allegations.

However, the comedian's Hollywood Walk of Fame was vandalised later this week after someone wrote "Rapist" on it three times.

In a statement made by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which manages the stars embedded in several sidewalks, "When people are unhappy with one of our honorees, we would hope that they would project their anger in more positive ways then to vandalize a California state landmark,"

Cosby received his star in 1977. It's placed near the busy intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and North Highland Avenue.