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Bill Cosby defamation case will not be reheard

Bill Cosby exits the Montgomery County Courthouse after a mistrial was declared in his sexual assault trial in Norristown, Pa. on Saturday, June 17, 2017.
Bill Cosby exits the Montgomery County Courthouse after a mistrial was declared in his sexual assault trial in Norristown, Pa. on Saturday, June 17, 2017. AP Photo/Matt Rourke

A federal appeals court won’t rehear a defamation lawsuit filed against Bill Cosby by a woman who said he raped her decades ago.

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently denied Kathrine McKee’s request for a full-court hearing. A three-judge panel of the court had ruled against her in October.

READ MORE: Bill Cosby lawsuit: Court refuses to revive defamation case

The former actress said Cosby defamed her in a letter his lawyer sent to the New York Daily News demanding a retraction of a story about McKee’s allegations. Cosby’s lawyers said the letter was protected by the First Amendment.

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McKee was among dozens of women who went public with allegations against Cosby. Cosby has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

A separate defamation lawsuit filed by seven other women is also pending in Massachusetts, where Cosby owns a home.

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