Bill Cosby Made a Deal With the National Enquirer Over a Sex Allegation

Bill Cosby admitted under oath in 2005 that he gave an exclusive interview to the National Enquirer in exchange for the paper’s promise to drop an interview with onetime model Beth Ferrier, who accused him of sexually assaulting her in the 1980s.

The New York Times reports that the admission was made during a Sept. 2005 deposition at the Federal District Court in Philadelphia. The court documents containing the comedian’s testimony had been sealed, but were released on Wednesday in response to media requests.

“I would give them an exclusive story, my words,” Cosby testified, according to the documents, when asked about the agreement with the Enquirer. The paper, on their part, “would not print the story of — print Beth’s story,” he said.

More than a dozen women have, over the past two weeks, publicly claimed that Cosby had sexually assaulted, harassed or raped them. Cosby has denied all allegations.

Read more at the New York Times.