Bill Cosby Ex-Attorney Marty Singer Plans Legal Action Against Janice Dickinson
EXCLUSIVE: The combative Hollywood lawyer may have avoided giving a deposition in the former America’s Next Top Model judge’s defamation case against Bill Cosby and himself for the time being, but today Marty Singer says he’s planning a new legal move of his own. “I’m looking forward to pursuing claims against Janice Dickinson and Lisa Bloom after I prevail in this action,” Singer told Deadline tonight.
The former attorney to the now-disgraced comedian is referring to being formally named this week as a defendant in Dickinson’s jury-seeking case that has Bloom as her lawyer. On November 12, the 2nd District Court of Appeals laid down a temporary stay on the November 19 and 23rd scheduled depositions of Cosby and Singer in the case. While preparing to file a petition of opposition to the appeals courts, Dickinson also filed an amended complaint earlier this week that not only named Singer as defendant, but put a hefty portion of the defamation itself on his shoulders.
RelatedBill Cosby & Marty Singer To Give Depositions In Janice Dickinson Defamation Case
In her initial suit filed in May of this year
, Dickinson claims that after she made statements in November 2014 about being raped by Cosby in 1982, the actor “through an attorney, publicly branded her a liar” on two separate occasions in remarks to the media.
“Defendant Singer acted with reckless disregard to the falsity of the statements in The Defamatory Press Statements by, among other things, ignoring the fact that there were obvious reasons to doubt the accuracy of his statements, and/or by failing to conduct a reasonable investigation and/or by failing to interview obvious witnesses who could have confirmed or disproved the allegations, including without limitation Defendant Cosby himself,” says the November 16 filing in L.A. Superior Court (read it here). “Defendant Singer’s purposeful avoidance of the truth constitutes actual malice,” it adds.
“The Defamatory Press Statements were false and unprivileged, were written and published with the goal of making Ms. Dickinson an object of ridicule, contempt, hatred or disgrace, and to bring her public and personal humiliation,” Bloom says on Dickinson’s behalf in the amended complaint, laying down a wedge for any future deposition of Singer. In her November 2 order of the depos, Judge Debra Weintraub made a point of noting that some attorney/client privileges may be a factor in the search for malice in the questioning of Singer.
Not that Singer is Cosby’s lawyer any more.
After years of representing the actor, especially in the last year when approximately 50 women have gone public with accusations that Cosby sexually assaulted them, Singer and Cosby parted ways last month. Specifics were not disclosed but sources told Deadline at the time that Cosby did not fire the Lavely & Singer attorney. Christopher Tayback of Quinn Emanuel is now representing Cosby and was in court before both Judge Weintraub and the Appeals Court.
Dickinson’s lawyer Bloom had no comment tonight when contacted about Singer’s stated future plans. The Appeals Court is expected to issue a final order on whether or not Cosby and Singer will have to submit to questioning by Dickinson’s lawyer after getting briefs from both sides by the end of this month.
RelatedBill Cosby Could Face Sex Crimes Charges From L.A. D.A. Soon Over 2008 Incident
Related stories
'Family Guy' Imagines How 'The Cosby Show' Opening Might Look Today
Bill Cosby & Marty Singer Depositions Put On Pause
Bill Block & QED End 'Dirty Grandpa' Lawsuit With Settlement
Get more from Deadline.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
