Bill Cosby has been charged in 12-year-old sexual assault case

Credit: Jennifer Brett

Credit: Jennifer Brett

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The stunning legal action comes after dozens of women lodged allegations against Cosby, beloved for his avuncular role as the wise Dr. Huxtable on the 1980s hit "The Cosby Show." Numerous organizations including Atlanta's Spelman College have moved to distance themselves from Cosby as the story has unfolded.

Earlier this year Spelman announced it had canceled a professorship associated with Cosby and returned the money. The Cosbys' association with Spelman has been one of their longest, most generous, and perhaps the most prestigious.

Credit: Jennifer Brett

Credit: Jennifer Brett

Cosby's legal team launched an aggressive defense long before today's charges were announced. He has sued a number of his accusers including supermodel Beverly Johnson , one of the dozens of women who have accused him of sexual assault. The suit claims Johnson lodged the allegations to jump-start her career.

The "false allegations against Mr. Cosby have been the centerpiece of her attempted resurgence and she has played them to the hilt, repeatedly and maliciously publishing the false accusations in articles, interviews, and television appearances," Cosby's lawsuit states.

Credit: Jennifer Brett

Credit: Jennifer Brett

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Johnson, who in 1974 became the first African American woman to appear on the cover of American Vogue, saidin a piece in Vanity Fair that Cosby drugged her about 30 years ago.

“My head became woozy, my speech became slurred, and the room began to spin nonstop,” she wrote. “Cosby motioned for me to come over to him as though we were really about to act out the scene. He put his hands around my waist, and I managed to put my hand on his shoulder in order to steady myself.”

Cosby’s legal action against her was the latest lawsuit against accusers.

Earlier this month, just as Boston University announced it had stripped Cosby of an honorary degree bestowed upon him last year amid uproar over allegations , the comedian filed suit against seven women, claiming they have made "malicious, opportunistic, false and defamatory accusations of sexual misconduct against him."

"The comedian is claiming emotional distress against Tamara Green, Therese Serignese, Linda Traitz, Louisa Moritz, Barbara Bowman, Joan Tarshis and Angela Leslie … claiming the allegations of drugging and then sexually assaulting them is flatly untrue," TMZ reported.