Another woman has come forward with allegations of potential sexual misconduct by Bill Cosby, and this one was a co-star of his for four years. Renita Chaney Hill appeared alongside Cosby during the 1980s in his “Picture Pages” educational videos.
Bill Cosby was at the height of his power with NBC’s “The Cosby Show” when he encountered Hill. His “Picture Pages” segments filmed in Pittsburgh — the shorts started on a local Pittsburgh children’s show — and he was looking for local talent. Hill, a 15-year-old model and aspiring actress, was recommended by her modeling agency.
Hill spoke to local CBS news station KDKA about the alleged attacks late last week and told KDKA reporter Ralph Iannotti that Cosby flew her to various cities, including New York and Atlanta.
She said she wouldn’t see him during the day, but would go to his hotel room at night. She then detailed a similar story to the other alleged victims, claiming the comedian gave her drinks she now believes were drugged.
“One time, I remember just before I passed out, I remember him kissing and touching me and I remember the taste of his cigar on his breath, and I didn’t like it,” Hill told KDKA. “I remember another time when I woke up in my bed the next day and he was leaving. He mentioned ‘you should probably lose a little weight.’ I thought that odd, how would he know that?”
Hill did say that she can’t know for sure if she was raped because she was unconscious. “It just felt weird to me, and I remember being in high school saying to him, ‘I’ll come see you, but I don’t want to drink because it makes me feel funny,’” Hill said. “And he would tell me that if I didn’t drink, I couldn’t come see him.”
By the time she was 19, Hill claims Cosby was paying her college tuition and her family saw him as a father figure in her life. Nevertheless, she decided to cut off all contact and gave up her dream of being an actress.
Hill says she came forward after hearing Cosby’s attorney criticize the other women who have already done so, and she is unapologetic about waiting so long. “No one wants to be associated with something like this, but the bottom line for me is that no one has the right to violate someone else, no matter who they are,” she said. “I don’t care how big they are or how the community sees them, it’s not right.”
The mounting allegations against Bill Cosby have already cost him several high profile gigs. His Thanksgiving Netflix comedy special has been cancelled, as has the NBC sitcom he had in development. TV Land pulled reruns of “The Cosby Show” from its air.
Cosby is continuing to tour and perform stand-up, though two shows in Las Vegas have been cancelled. He most recently appeared in Florida where he received two standing ovations.
He defended his ongoing refusal to comment, telling Florida Today before his performance, “I know people are tired of me not saying anything, but a guy doesn’t have to answer to innuendos. People should fact check. People shouldn’t have to go through that and shouldn’t answer to innuendos.”