Camille Cosby, Bill Cosby’s Wife, Ordered To Give Deposition

Camille Cosby‘s efforts to delay testimony in her husband’s defamation lawsuit have failed. A federal judge ruled on Friday that she must testify in the lawsuit filed against her husband by Andrea Constand and other women who claim that Cosby drugged and/or sexually assaulted them.

Mrs. Cosby’s lawyers had written, “Mrs. Cosby renews her motion for a protective order staying her deposition until the parties and the purporting spokespeople have been deposed and limiting the scope of Mrs. Cosby’s deposition to discoverable topics that are not addressed by these deponents.”

This was in response to U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianna‘s ruling on Feb. 11 that Mrs. Cosby must at least answer some questions about the case, rejecting the argument that Mrs. Cosby should be protected by marital privilege. But Judge Mastroianna had granted that she “may refuse to answer deposition questions which call for testimony prohibited by the marital disqualification rule and not falling witin an exception.

Costand has separately charged Cosby in January 2004 for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulted her at his Pennsylvania home. On Feb. 1 Cosby filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Constand, her mother, and her lawyers, claiming that they violated a confidentiality agreement negotiated in 2006. The breach of contract suit also names the National Enquirer for reporting on claims “despite its clear contractual obligations not to publish any stories relating to certain allegations against Mr. Cosby.”

This case began when she spoke to the Montgomery County, Penn., district attorney’s office last summer about the alleged 2004 incident. There were no criminal charges filed then but she was joined by more than 50 women who also allege that they were victims of Mr. Cosby.

Mrs. Cosby’s testimony will take place on Monday.