Model Beverly Johnson says in Vanity Fair that Bill Cosby drugged her
Beverly Johnson, who broke barriers in the 1970s when she became the first black model to appear on the cover of Vogue, is the latest woman to come forward with allegations that comedian and actor Bill Cosby drugged and attempted to sexually assault her. In an essay in Vanity Fair, Johnson says Cosby served her coffee when she came to his New York City brownstone in the mid-1980s to read for a small part on “The Cosby Show.” “I was a top model during the ‘70s, a period when drugs flowed at parties and photo shoots like bottled water at a health spa,” Johnson wrote. “I’d had my fun and experimented with my fair share of mood enhancers. I knew by the second sip of the drink Cosby had given me that I’d been drugged—and drugged good.” A woozy Johnson yelled expletives at Cosby until the angry actor took her downstairs to a taxi, she recounts. (Vanity Fair editors say Cosby’s attorneys didn’t respond to requests for comment.)
Johnson says she had remained quiet all these years because she “had too much to lose to go after Bill Cosby.” But after watching numerous women come forward only to be vilifed, she had to step forward: “I watched in horror as my longtime friend and fellow model Janice Dickinson was raked over the coals for telling her account of rape at Cosby’s hands. Over the years I’ve met other women who also claim to have been violated by Cosby. Many are still afraid to speak up. I couldn’t sit back and watch the other women be vilified and shamed for something I knew was true,” she wrote. Read more about it in the Los Angeles Times.
Moving on to other news from the fashion world:
Gucci’s getting a change at the top. Power couple Frida Giannini, the label’s creative director, and her professional and personal partner Patrizio di Marco, the CEO, will step down in early 2015, luxury conglomerate Kering -- Gucci’s parent -- announced on Friday. While Gucci is a prominent brand, its sales have slipped, leading to this shake-up at the top. [New York Times] [WWD]
Christian Louboutin has teamed with burlesque star Dita von Teese on a limited-edition lingerie collection. [WWD]
Former “America’s Next Top Model” contestant Angelea Preston is suing producer/host Tyra Banks and seeking $3 million in damages, saying she was wrongfully disqualified from the show because she had worked as an escort. [People]
The United Nations has declared June 21 International Day of Yoga. [Racked]
Teen clothier Delia’s, which recently filed for bankruptcy, began liquidation sales on Thursday, Racked reports. [Racked]
