Bill Cosby has been the focus of much attention over allegations by multiple women that he raped them, some saying he used drugs or spiked drinks to do it. Others simply say he used his power and position to get them to do things they did not want to do.
Bill Cosby’s people released a pair of statements over the weekend, insisting that the latest round of accusations against Cosby were old news, long-discredited, and would not be addressed again by them.
But now a new name has come forward. Her story is not recent, it was back in 1969, but she is not one of the handful of women who have already had their stories told numerous times. Those women are angry that they were not taken seriously by the public until Hannibal Buress called Cosby out on the allegations. But this woman is a new factor. This one has not yet been “discredited.”
Her name is Joan Tarshis. She described how she was working with Cosby on an acting monologue in hopes of furthering her acting career. She said he molested her, despite her feigning having an infection to dissuade him. She said she also believes she was drugged and woke up naked in his bed.
But who is Joan Tarshis? She is sometimes referred to in the media as a journalist and a publicist or as a former actress.
Her Facebook page says she lives in Woodstock, New York and has done a bit of traveling.
Her LinkedIn profile says she is a grad student at Walden University, has written for various national magazines, including Reader’s Digest, Men’s Health, and Guitar for the Practicing Musician magazine.
She has done PR for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Marley, Anne Murray, Joan Jett and others.
In an interview with Philly Magazine, Tarshis said she is coming forward now because her parents are older and would not be hurt by her revelations. She said that she wants to join the other alleged victims and give them credibility.
“And in an ideal world, I would love NBC to cancel the series they’re doing with him, but that involves money, not ethics. So that’s not going to happen. And I would also like to be able to say ‘Bill Cosby is a rapist’ and have America believe it.”
At the rate Tarshis, the other accusers, and Hannibal Buress are getting things rolling, that may end up being something that America believes, even if it can’t be proven.
