Actress Sues Bill Cosby, Claims He Lured Her with Promise of Audition and Then Sexually Assaulted Her

Bill Cosby is facing a lawsuit for alleged sexual assault and battery by actress Linda Ridgway-Whitedeer, who claims Cosby forced her to perform oral sex on him during what was supposed to be an audition in 1971, according to a copy of the complaint, which was reviewed by PEOPLE.

The lawsuit also accuses William Morris Endeavor (WME), then known as William Morris Agency, of negligence on the grounds that both Cosby and Ridgway-Whitedeer were both clients of the agency at the time, and the actress’ suit claims WME should’ve been more aware of his alleged conduct.

“At the time of the sexual assault, the William Morris Agency knew, or should have had knowledge of Defendant’s repeated acts of sexual assault,” read a part of the complaint.

The lawsuit alleges that Cosby had specifically asked WME to have Ridgway-Whitedeer audition for the upcoming film “Hickey and Boggs.”

As soon as she arrived, Cosby “quickly ushered” her into an empty office room, and said in a commanding tone, “Have a seat!”, the lawsuit alleges.

She had to move a chair that was partially obstructing the door to go into the room, and once she was inside, she sat on the chair, and put her bag down, according to the suit.

As she was getting ready to move the chair close to the desk, Cosby allegedly grabbed her hair and stood between her and the door, “so that if anyone were to enter, they would not be able to see what was happening within,” before he forced her into oral sex, the lawsuit claims.

After the alleged incident, while she was still in shock, he “escorted” her to her car before leaving her there, the suit alleges.

In a statement published in 2015, Ridgway-Whitedeer shared in further detail how distraught she was from the alleged experience.

“I was bordering between vomiting and passing out.  He was mumbling that I had been blessed with his semen as if it was holy water,” she wrote. “He gloated over my humiliation.  He planned it.”

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Cosby has not been charged in this case.

Over 60 women have accused Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting them, and he was convicted on three counts of aggravated indecent assault and sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2018. He was then released in 2021 after his conviction was vacated because of an agreement he had made with a previous prosecutor, who had agreed not to prosecute Cosby if he answered questions for a civil deposition about giving quaaludes to women he wanted to have sex with.

Andrew Wyatt, Cosby’s spokesperson, tells PEOPLE that Cosby is aware of the latest development and “vehemently denies” the allegations.

Cosby’s lawyer Jennifer Bonjean tells PEOPLE in an email that Cosby’s attorneys will “continue to fight each and every lawsuit,” claiming it amounts to “insanity” that the comedian is “forced to defend a claim that is over 50 years old.”

WME did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comments.