Cosby retrial continues with more defense questioning of main accuser

This morning, Bill Cosby’s attorneys will continue questioning Andrea Constand, the woman whose claim that he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2004 resulted in criminal charges more than a decade later.

The 45-year-old massage therapist first took the stand Friday morning, after the prosecution had warmed up jurors with three days of testimony from other women who said Cosby drugged and assaulted them as well.

Constand testified that one night in January 2004, the entertainer invited her over to his house, offered her three pills he indicated were herbal, but which incapacitated her.

She said as she became “woozy” and “weak,” Cosby led her to a couch in another room, laying her on her side. The next thing she remembers is coming to, feeling Cosby behind her, and his fingers inside her vagina.

“Miss Constand, why are you here?” asked prosecutor Kristen Feden.

“For justice,” said Constand.

During cross examination, defense attorney Tom Mesereau questioned Constand repeatedly about her statements to police, picking out inconsistencies or notable omissions.

Constand agreed that, at one point, she did confuse two dates — the date of the alleged assault and the date she said she tried to confront Cosby.

“I was mistaken about the night of the Chinese dinner and the night of the actual assault,” she said. “I was just trying to recall an enormous amount of information, and I was very nervous and I was just trying to piece it together.”

During their two hours of cross-examination Friday afternoon, Cosby’s attorneys also accused Constand of promoting a pyramid scheme and of stiffing an investor.

“Do you recall being involved in a pyramid scheme at Temple?” asked Mesereau. “You don’t recall asking people for money?”

“No sir,” replied Constand.

In opening statements, Mesereau set up a frame for this information, saying Constand is a “con man” who cooked up a plan to extort Cosby for money. He said that Cosby, a lonely older man, confided in her that he never got over the murder of his son, Ennis, and she took advantage of him.

Prosecutors revealed last week that Constand received nearly $3.4 million in a 2006 civil settlement with Cosby.