Janice Dickinson Speaks out After Bill Cosby’s Release From Prison

Janice Dickinson is joining the growing chorus of celebrities speaking out after Bill Cosby‘s sexual assault conviction was overturned. The supermodel, who was among the 60 women to accuse the comedian once known as “America’s Dad” of sexual assault and misconduct, told Entertainment Tonight that Cosby now walking as a free man shows that “the justice system is really f—ed up.”

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the indecent assault conviction of Cosby on Wednesday after finding that he was denied protection against self-incrimination. According to the Supreme Court, Cosby had an agreement with a previous prosecutor that should have prevented him from being charged in the case. Cosby had been serving a three- to 10-year sentence after he was convicted in 2018 on three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault of drugging and assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004. Dickinson said the decision is “devastating,” especially “after all the pain and anguish that these women went through, myself included.” Telling ET that she is “mad,” she said she knows Cosby’s other accusers are “disappointed, and sisters, we gotta hang in there, that’s what I want to say to them.”

“I hope the women get help from an expert that they deserve,” she added. “And I hope that this can send a big message for women all over to get help immediately, go have a rape test if you get raped and seek proper justice immediately. Don’t let it linger for seven years or else you’ll have lost your spot in the statute of limitations.”

Just hours after his conviction was overturned on Wednesday, Cosby was released from prison and returned to his Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, home. He later held a press conference. Although he did not speak during the media appearance — instead standing silently beside his legal team — his team said he is “extremely happy” to be home and said it’s been a “hard” three years for Cosby and his family. One member of his legal team called referred to Cosby’s time in prison as an “unwanted three-year vacation that Mr. Cosby never asked for,” with another calling this a moment of “justice.”

“Bill Cosby didn’t speak for himself, he didn’t speak out loud about how his experience was. He didn’t apologize once again to all the victims… I would say to him personally, you’ve got a whole lot of nerve coming out and smiling and giving peace signs,” Dickinson said of that media appearance. “I would hope that Mr. Cosby would say I’m sorry. But that’s never gonna happen.”

Dickinson, who was one of several women to testify against Cosby during the Pennsylvania retrial in April 2018, accused Cosby of drugging and raping her in the 1980s. In a message to Cosby, Dickinson said, “Oh, I would say, don’t be so happy with yourself, buddy, because you know what you did to me.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.