UPDATE: The woman has been identified as Nicolle Rochelle, 39, of Little Falls, New Jersey. The Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Office charged Rochelle with disorderly conduct and if convicted, she will be assessed a fine and will have to pay court costs.
It’s unclear at this juncture if she pleaded guilty to the charge.
Interestingly, Rochelle appeared in four episodes of The Cosby Show.
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ORIGINAL STORY: A topless protester was tackled by police and arrested as disgraced comedian Bill Cosby arrived at a Pennsylvania court on Monday for the start of his retrial on charges of sexually assaulting Toronto woman Andrea Constand.
As Cosby, 80, exited his SUV and walked toward the courthouse, the as-yet-unnamed protester jumped the barrier and charged at him. She had her breasts exposed, and the words “Cosby” and “rapist” painted on her back. She also had multiple womens’ names written in black marker all over her body, and “Women’s Lives Matter” emblazoned on her chest and stomach.
READ MORE: Bill Cosby defence team scores major win before retrial begins
She ran with a raised fist along the path toward the court before being tackled and ushered away by police.
As the activity went on, Cosby was walked back towards his car and had no physical interaction with the woman. He then walked into the courthouse once the drama subsided. He did not speak during the incident, though he seemed startled.
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The woman was among a handful of people outside the courthouse chanting in support of Constand.
WATCH: Witness tells Cosby, ‘You know what you did!’
Cosby’s defense team and prosecutors are expected to make their opening arguments on the first day of what is expected to be a one-month trial in Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Penn. A seven-man, five-woman jury was selected last week.
In June, the first jury came to an unanimous verdict on charges that Cosby drugged and assaulted Andrea Constand, 44, at his home outside Philadelphia in 2004. Judge Steven O’Neill declared a mistrial.
READ MORE: How will #MeToo movement impact the outcome of Bill Cosby’s retrial?
The retrial of the man once known as “America’s Dad” will unfold against the backdrop of the national #MeToo movement, which emerged last autumn. In the informal campaign, a parade of women have ended years of silence to tell their stories of sexual misconduct and assault by powerful men in Hollywood, politics and business.
Cosby, 80, best known as the benign patriarch on The Cosby Show, is accused of attacking Constand, 44, a former administrator at Temple University, Cosby’s alma mater. She now resides in Toronto. If convicted of the most serious charge of aggravated indecent assault, Cosby could face up to 10 years in prison.
Constand is one of more than 50 women who have accused him of sexual assaults, some dating back decades.
(You can watch the protester in the video, top.)
— With files from Reuters
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