Bill Cosby’s wife was deposed in February as part of the libel lawsuit he’s facing from seven women who have accused him of sexual assault, and the now-public transcript reveals she didn’t say much.
Joseph Cammarata is representing Tamara Green and six other women who say their reputations were tarnished by Cosby’s representatives after they came forward with allegations of sexual assault.
Cosby tried to get the lawsuit tossed last year, but the court allowed it to proceed. The court also ordered Camille Cosby to sit for deposition, but acknowledged that she might not have to testify at trial.
Camille’s deposition was extremely contentious and cut short by Cosby’s attorney Monique Pressley.
A full transcript of the deposition was made public on Friday.
The word “privilege” appears more than 100 times, much of it in reference to marital privilege, which protects private conversations that happen between spouses.
Within the transcript, after asking Camille about how much she values integrity in herself and others, Cammarata asks, “Now, can we agree that throughout your marriage, Mr. Cosby acted with a lack of integrity?”
Pressley jumps in and tells her client that she isn’t obligated to answer a question if the information was gained through a conversation with her husband or an attorney.
“And I won’t,” Camille responds.
Cammarata changes the wording to ask if she has information that her husband acted with a lack of integrity that came from sources other than her husband.
Camille says no.
He rephrases again, asking “Is it your understanding that your husband acted with a lack of integrity?”
Then comes a cycle of Pressley objecting, Camille refusing to answer and Cammarata insisting she does.
Finally, Camille says she won’t answer because “that’s communication between my husband and me and that is it,” which is apparently enough of an answer for Cammarata.
Few exchanges prove productive and many involve arguments between Pressley and Cammarata about protocol for objections.
CAMMARATA Would you agree that throughout your marriage that he used — Mr. Cosby used — his position, power to manipulate young women?
CAMILLE Yes. Some of that, yes.
Later Camille says that all of the information she has regarding the sexual assault allegations against her husband came either from him or from a lawyer and that she has “perused” the complaint that was filed in this lawsuit.
Cammarata asks Camille about her husband’s since-settled lawsuit from Andrea Constand, the ex-Temple University employee who says he assaulted her in 2004, as well as whether she thought Cosby’s brief affair with Shawn Thompson during the ‘70s was a breach of their wedding vows.
More arguments between counsel ensue and they pause the deposition — twice — to call U.S. District Judge David H. Hennessy for instruction.
Another Cosby attorney, Christopher Tayback, tells Hennessy it was “the most offensive line of questioning” he had ever seen and its sole purpose was to humiliate and upset her.
The transcript of the conversations are also public, and during the second call, Hennessy clearly appears to not be pleased. He derides them in a way that mimics the scorn of a deeply disappointed parent.
“Listen, maybe your collective 100 years of lawyering will help you with this. This is how a deposition gets done: Questions are asked, you state an objection, the answer is given and the deposition goes on. When questions are not answered, it’s because of an assertion of a privilege. It’s a single paragraph in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. You are to follow them,” Hennessy says. “I’m not sitting here for you guys to vent and get your frustrations out. There are rules. You follow them. If you don’t, I’m telling you, you’re going to be in big trouble. Is that clear?”
Cammarata then proceeds to show Camille transcripts of depositions Cosby has given, in which the comedian talks about his sexual desires toward and sexual relationships with other women. Camille clearly doesn’t want to talk about it, and Cammarata and Pressley get heated again.
PRESSLEY Argumentative. Stop.
CAMMARATA Excuse me, don’t tell me to stop.
PRESSLEY You got an answer to the question. I just did.
CAMMARATA Do not talk to me that way.
PRESSLEY And we will all stop if you don’t stop.
CAMMARATA Do not threaten me.
PRESSLEY OK. It’s not a threat. It’s just an assurance.
Needless to say, the rest of the deposition is largely unproductive.
Afterwards, the court orders Camille to sit for a second round of questioning. That transcript is not yet public.
The full transcript from the February deposition is below.
