Hugh Hefner responded to the recent sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby, including one that allegedly occurred at the Playboy Mansion in 1974.
"Bill Cosby has been a good friend for many years and the mere thought of these allegations is truly saddening," the Playboy mogul wrote in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. "I would never tolerate this kind of behavior, regardless of who was involved."
Hefner's comments came in response to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday alleging that Cosby molested a woman named Judy Huth at the Playboy Mansion when she was 15 years old. The LAPD has opened an investigation in light of Huth's allegations.
Cosby's lawyer, Martin Singer, has called Huth's claims "absolutely false," "unreliable" and "untimely." Cosby's team also filed court documents claiming extortion from Huth, according to documents obtained by ABC News. According to the documents, Huth's lawyer demanded $100,000 for her silence, and later increased the amount to $250,000 as additional women came forward with similar accusations.
P.J. Masten, a former Playboy bunny, has also recently come forward with sexual assault accusations against Cosby. Speaking with CNN on Friday, Masten claimed that the comedian drugged and raped her in a Chicago hotel in 1972. She said that her assault wasn't an isolated incident.
"[There are] 12 former bunnies that I know of that are ashamed to come forward, frightened to come forward, married with families [and] don't want to come forward. But they were also drugged and raped by Bill Cosby," Masten said.
Cosby has been accused by more than 15 women of sexual assault allegations. He has never been charged with a crime.
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