Andrea Constand spoke out publicly for the first time about her sexual assault and the subsequent trial of Bill Cosby in an interview Friday.
“I forgave Bill Cosby for what he did to me,” she told NBC’s “Dateline” in an exclusive interview. “It’s been many, many years. And if I did not forgive him, I wouldn’t have peace. And I sit here today and I have my peace”
Constand, a former pro basketball player, was working for Temple University’s basketball team when she met Cosby. She later accused him of sexually assaulting her at his Pennsylvania home in 2004, taking the stand in his most recent trial to testify against him. More than a half-dozen women also testified the comedian drugged and raped them, though more than 50 women accused the 80-year-old actor of assaulting them throughout the years.
Constand’s testimony helped convict Cosby and the former TV star was found guilty on three counts of aggravated indecent assault. He is now facing a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
“He preyed on Andrea Constand the same way he preyed on all those five women,” Assistant Montgomery County District Attorney Kristen Feden said, referring to the women who took the stand in Cosby’s trial.
“He needs help and he needs to repent for what he did, not only to me but for a lot of women,” Constand said during the interview as her mother sat next to her in support. “He’s a convicted sex assaulter, but I forgive him for what he did to me.”
