Cosby sexual assault accuser denies any prior romance

THE woman accusing Bill Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting her yesterday denied there was any prior romance between them.

Andrea Constand had earlier described how the television star gave her three blue pills before assaulting her in 2004 as she lay paralysed.

Her testimony marks the key moment of a case billed as the biggest American celebrity trial since OJ Simpson was found not guilty of murder.

On Tuesday, the second day of the trial, Ms Constand, 44, said Cosby offered what he said were herbal pills.

“They’re your friends,” she said he told her.

She began to slur her words after taking them and began seeing double before Cosby began his assault, the court heard.

Cosby’s defence lawyers suggested the former college basketball administrator had a romantic relationship with the comedian.

Angela Agrusa said: “You were sitting by the fire. The room was dark. There was a nice mood.”

Ms Constand responded: “I don’t know what that means.”

“The lights were dim and the fire was going,” the lawyer continued.

“I don’t really remember how dim the lights were, but I did have to eat my dinner,” Ms Constand said.

The defence argues that Ms Constand was not incapacitated and that the encounter was consensual.

They offered telephone records showing that she called Cosby more than 50 times after the alleged attack.

Almost 60 women have publicly have accused Cosby, 79, of varying degrees of inappropriate sexual behaviour but Ms Constand’s is the only case in which he has been charged.

His reputation as one of the great American comedy actors – from his years starring on The Cosby Show – has been shattered.

The ageing star arrived for the third day of his trial in Norristown, Philadelphia, with Sheila Frazier, who starred alongside him in the 1978 film California Suite.

He denies all the allegations but faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.