BOCA RATON, Fla. — A Florida woman who came forward Thursday became at least the fifth in recent weeks to say Bill Cosby gave her pills that made her feel groggy then forced himself on her sexually.
Therese Serignese, now 57 and a nurse in Boca Raton, said the television icon raped her in 1976 when she was 19 years old following a show in Las Vegas. She said she went backstage and when the two were alone, Cosby gave her two pills and a glass of water, saying, "Take these."
"My next memory is clearly feeling drugged, being without my clothes, standing up," she said. "Bill Cosby was behind me, having sex with me."
The allegations by Serignese are similar to that of Barbara Bowman and Joan Tarshis, who were aspiring actresses at the time, and model Janice Dickinson.
A fourth woman, Tamara Green wrote an opinion piece Wednesday for "Entertainment Tonight." In 2005, Green publicly claimed that she was drugged and Cosby attempted to assault her; Cosby's lawyers have previously denied they knew each other.
Serignese says after the alleged rape, she willingly stayed with Cosby in Las Vegas for some time, but could not specify how long or whether the two had sex again during their time together. The two also maintained sporadic contact for years after the alleged rape.
Cosby spokesman David Brokaw did not respond to a request for comment. Cosby's lawyer, in a statement released Sunday, criticized previous "decade-old, discredited allegations," stating that "the fact that they are being repeated does not make them true."
The 77-year-old television star's attempt at a career comeback has been collapsing in recent days as the abuse allegations resurfaced. This week Netflix said it was postponing a comedy special it had planned with Cosby to air later this month; NBC said it was stopping development of a sitcom with him and TV Land pulled reruns of "The Cosby Show" off the air.
Serignese said she filed a statement with Philadelphia police in January 2005 detailing her allegations and provided a copy of that statement to The Associated Press. The AP could not confirm Thursday that a report had been filed with the Philadelphia police department.
"There's no DNA. There's no evidence. There was no cameras. There's no videotaping back then. There's no proof," she said. "It's just my word against Bill Cosby."
IN-DEPTH
- Why Are Old Assault Claims Against Bill Cosby Back?
- Former Model Janice Dickinson Accuses Bill Cosby of Sex Assault
- TV Land Halts 'Cosby Show' Reruns After Sex Claims
