Beverly Johnson Writes Personal Essay Alleging Bill Cosby Drugged Her
Beverly Johnson is the latest person to come forth in accusing comedian Bill Cosby of drugging her.
Cosby, the 77-year-old comedian who became popular in the 1980s and 1990s family sitcom "The Cosby Show," has recently been the subject of media scrutiny due to the rising number of allegations brought against him. Lately, a number of women have come forth, alleging that Cosby sexually assaulted them years ago.
Now Johnson, the first black model to grace the cover of American Vogue, is telling her story about how Cosby allegedly attempted to drug her in the mid 1980s. In a personal essay written for Vanity Fair, the 62-year-old began her account by admitting that she once thought of Cosby as elegant after being in awe of him since the 1960s.
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Since Cosby represented something special for her race, Johnson initially felt guilty for wanting to tell people about him allegedly drugging her.
"He was funny, smart, and even elegant—all those wonderful things many white Americans didn't associate with people of color," Johnson wrote. "In fact, as I thought of going public with what follows, a voice in my head kept whispering, 'Black men have enough enemies out there already, they certainly don't need someone like you, an African American with a familiar face and a famous name, fanning the flames.'"
Johnson said she met Cosby when she auditioned for a small role on his popular sitcom "The Cosby Show." Since she was going through a bitter custody battle for her only child with her ex-husband, Johnson said Cosby seemed interested in helping her.
He initially invited the model and her daughter to his home for a visit that went smoothly. Johnson said the comedian invited her over for another visit without her daughter, and asked her to pretend she was drunk to test her acting chops.
After offering her an espresso coffee from his home machine, the model was hesitant to take it but eventually obliged. Johnson alleges that she realized Cosby had drugged her drink, causing her to curse at him.
The comedian became upset at her reaction.
"What happened next is somewhat cloudy for me because the drug was in fuller play by that time," she wrote. "I recall his seething anger at my tirade and then him grabbing me by my left arm hard and yanking all 110 pounds of me down a bunch of stairs as my high heels clicked and clacked on every step. I feared my neck was going to break with the force he was using to pull me down those stairs.
While Johnson said the comedian violently placed her in a cab, she attempted to confront him via telephone following the ordeal. When his wife answered the telephone, the model decided to drop the matter and doubted that she should publicly accuse such a powerful man.
However, she explained her reasons for coming forward now.
"For a long time I thought it was something that only happened to me, and that I was somehow responsible. So I kept my secret to myself, believing this truth needed to remain in the darkness," Johnson wrote. "But the last four weeks have changed everything, as so many women have shared similar stories, of which the press have belatedly taken heed."
Cosby has been receiving backlash since allegations have been brought forth against him recently. The U.S. Navy stripped the comedian of his honorary title which he was given in 2011.
Although he has denied the claims, the comedian recently announced that he would step down from being on Temple University's Board of Trustees in light of all of the negative media attention he is receiving.
"I have always been proud of my association with Temple University. I have always wanted to do what would be in the best interests of the university and its students," Cosby said in a statement, according to the Associated Press. "As a result, I have tendered my resignation from the Temple University Board of Trustees."
