Bill Cosby Rape Allegations Resurface
BARBARA BOWMAN, ALLEGES SHE WAS RAPED BY BILL COSBY: That is a good question. And I think that all victims want to know the same thing, because so many victims are not reporting their crimes. There's such a stigma attached to the victim. It's a fear, it's shame of what had happened. When you're dealing with someone of powerful and prestige --</s>MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Which is often the case, we see.</s>BOWMAN: -- and celebrity and wealth and fame, it is a whole different scenario. So when you're young and impressionable, and placed in a very highly, highly controlled environment, which I was, and brain-washed terribly to trust and have total 100 percent vulnerability. As a young actress, he was appointed to me to groom me and mentor me through my agent. So when I was 17 in Denver, up and coming and wanting to become an actress and movie star, my agent knew him, and he came out to do just that. So when I came to New York that was all part of it. It was they were subsidizing my housing, and my acting classes. And I was doing acting work with him and I was often in private environments.</s>PEREIRA: You're 17 years old. You're wide-eyed, you're eager and you have somebody taking an interest in you.</s>BOWMAN: That's right. That's right. And because of the circumstances, like I said, it was very controlled. He zeroed right in on my vulnerabilities, which was, had no father figure. So there was no man to come knocking on his door. To find out what's going down. And when these things started happening, I wasn't silent. I told my agent what was going down.</s>PEREIRA: What was the reaction?</s>BOWMAN: She did nothing. I believe she's as culpable as he is because in my inside, I believe she did know what was going on. So her doing nothing was a protective measure on her part.</s>PEREIRA: Did you tell other people?</s>BOWMAN: I didn't tell her, I told her, but I didn't really talk about it much because nobody was believing it and it was just, I was in a situation, I was in new york, my job was to work hard, go to classes, don't ask questions. Just be grateful for this amazing opportunity. Don't mess it up. So when things would come up and he would start making me uncomfortable and I knew something was going on. I would start asking questions and he'd say, you know what, you don't trust me. You got to trust me. And by the way, you were drunk. And I didn't drink. And I certainly wasn't doing anything but exactly what I was supposed to do. In 1989, I did go to a lawyer. A friend talked me into doing that, eventually. He laughed me right out of the office. It was terrible. It was humiliating. It was scary.</s>PEREIRA: Saying what, that there was no way to prove it because this is issue.</s>BOWMAN: He was Dr. Huxtable, it wouldn't happen.</s>PEREIRA: So we have a couple of things at play here. We have America's favorite dad and a lot of people will say this does not square up with Mr. Cosby that we know from</s>TV. BOWMAN: That's exactly right. So what happened was I just gave up. Because it was very clear to me, he said it right to my face, point- blank, I better never, ever see your face or hear your name again. So after going to my agent and going to the lawyer, and getting smacked down both times, I just said, let me just get on with my life. Move on with my life and let it go. And in 2004, finally when one woman did have the courage to come forward and file a lawsuit, I said I will not sit in silence any more. I believe this woman. They were dragging her through the mud, calling her a liar. And I said, I believe her because it happened to me. And if I do nothing but get out there and support her, and let people know that she's not lying, that is going to be my mission from here forward. I had nothing to gain by staying out in the public eye, giving my name, giving my identity to talk about this.</s>PEREIRA: Because then people came after you.</s>BOWMAN: And my, yes, my statute of limitations had long run out.</s>PEREIRA: You wanted to help someone else.</s>BOWMAN: I wanted to help her and I made it my mission to get out here and help other victims, that's what this is all about.</s>PEREIRA: So that's why people are going to say why now. But we should sort of follow the bouncing ball. This comes up now and again, over time. We'll hear women's stories coming up and then it goes away and then another story will come up. It came up again recently because this comedian lambasted Bill Cosby, Hannibal Burris calling him all sorts of names, accusing him of accusations of things we've heard about before. Did it make you feel like finally somebody is listening when you see a little bit more attention being paid or does it frustrate you?</s>BOWMAN: No, I was quite surprised and glad that a celebrity stepped up because this is not a secret in Hollywood. Obviously people in Hollywood, they're listening to the news, too. They know what's going on.</s>PEREIRA: So then why doesn't it get prosecuted then? Why if they're this, if this is happening repeatedly, why is there no action? I think so many of us are struggling to understand that.</s>BOWMAN: Yes, and that's a great question and I get asked that all the time. I think that one of the issues is that in 2005, when this case was going to court, and we were testifying, she settled out of court. So that meant that all 13 women were not going to testify. So that just shut it down. It's a subject that people don't want to talk about. The mainstream media does not want to deal with it. It's just now becoming important enough for worldwide attention and because of the situation with the fame and the celebrities and the power and the media, the media doesn't want to make enemies. And the media has to really kind of follow some jurisdiction and he does a lot of really great damage control. He was surrounded by --</s>PEREIRA: He's got people around him that's for sure.</s>BOWMAN: He was surrounded by a thick team confederates, lawyers and attorneys and people to protect him.</s>PEREIRA: Barbara, what do you want to have happen?</s>BOWMAN: I'm working with an organization called PAVE. I was appointed ambassador to be doing some public speaking on behalf of other victims around the world. PAVE stands for Promoting Awareness Through Victim Empowerment. I am so grateful to be a part of this organization because that gives me a platform to do a couple of things. One thing is I'd like to have a call for legislation against the statute of limitations. There's no reason that sexual crimes should be gotten away with because there is an appointed period of time that a woman has to come forward. It takes some women their entire lifetime to come forward. It is a very difficult, very strenuous, very soul-crushing situation to be in. And when people don't believe you at the beginning, it really falls on the shoulders of those first couple of people that you talk to.</s>PEREIRA: And for that reason, I'm so glad that you are speaking out, Barbara.</s>BOWMAN: Thank you, I will continue.</s>PEREIRA: And on behalf of other people who have found themselves in this situation for giving them a voice, thank you for that. Thank you very much for sitting with us today.</s>BOWMAN: Thank you. I'm going to keep on talking as long as people are listening.</s>PEREIRA: Please do -- Chris.</s>CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thanks, Mich. Betting on sports -- you know what? It should be legal. Who would say that? How about an NBA commissioner, Adam Silver? He has reasons. He wrote an op-ed, it may surprise you. Good debate to have. We'll have it here.</s>ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: And an unforgettable first dance, a groom finds a way to overcome his paralysis, surprising his bride with their first wedding dance, Joey and Michelle Johnson will join us live to talk about that moment.