Bill Cosby’s daughter defends her dad: ‘He loves and respects women’

Evin Cosby, the daughter of famed comedian Bill Cosby, is speaking out in support of her dad.

In a lengthy statement, Evin says that her dad has been unfairly treated by the media regarding his sexual assault case. Evin suggests that the media have labelled him a rapist without knowing the truth.

RELATED: Bill Cosby case: Judge expects trial to last about 2 weeks

“The public persecution of my dad, my kids’ grandfather, and the cruelty of the media and those who speak out branding my father a “rapist” without ever knowing the truth and who shame our family and our friends for defending my dad, makes all of this so much worse for my family and my children,” she says in the statement.

The comedian and star of The Cosby Show pleaded not guilty to three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault as the result of an alleged encounter with accuser Andrea Constand in 2004.

Constand went to the police with her claims in 2005 but the district attorney at the time declined her case.

Following that, she filed a civil lawsuit and accused Cosby of battery, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Thirteen other women then came forward to Constand’s attorneys to testify on her behalf. The case was settled confidentially in 2006 but in 2015, portions of the case’s documents were released. They revealed that Cosby admitted to giving Quaaludes to a woman and admitted to having a sexual encounter with Constand.

For Evin, she says her dad has tried to defend himself but the media is only interested in the women’s stories. “Our friends that spoke up were pressured to shut up. No one wanted to print their supportive words. We live in a scandalous country where the more sexualized and provocative the story, the more attention it gets,” she claims.

RELATED: Prosecutors want to use Bill Cosby’s shocking ‘chemicals’ book quote at trial

“I am his fourth daughter. He raised me to go to college, start my own business, and be my own woman, He is helping me raise my children and teach them family values,” she continues to defend her father. “I know that my father loves me, loves my sisters and my mother,” she said. “He loves and respects women. He is not abusive, violent or a rapist.”

Evin ends the statement by hoping for a fair outcome for her father. “I just hope that those who pre-judged my dad are now willing to admit that they were wrong,” she says.

Cosby could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. The judge expects the trial, which begins on June 5, to last two weeks.