Chelsea Handler reveals Bill Cosby invited her to his hotel suite

BY ANDREA REIHER

In a recent interview with Esquire magazine, comedian and talk show host Chelsea Handler reveals that 10 years ago, she was invited up to Bill Cosby’s hotel room in Atlantic City. The invite gave her a bad feeling, so she says she took some male friends with her, and now in hindsight—after the two dozen sexual assault allegations made against Cosby—she’s glad she did. 

“He tried to Cosby me,” says Handler. 

“I was in Atlantic City playing, doing stand-up, and he was doing stand-up in Atlantic City in the same hotel,” recounts Handler, “and at like three o’clock in the afternoon, someone from the hotel came down and said, ‘Oh, you know, Mr. Cosby would really like to meet you up in his hotel suite.’ And I thought, That’s really weird. This was like ten years ago. 

“And I said, That’s really weird. I don’t want to go alone. I go, I don’t know him. So the three guys I was with—thank God these guys were with me. One was filming and one was like a producer; we were filming something—I brought them up with me to his room and thank God I did, because now I know what would’ve happened if I went up there alone.” 

Handler goes on to say that she had completely forgotten about the entire incident until all the women have been coming forward lately. She says she was reminded about her encounter by a friend who was there, who texted her asking if she remembers that afternoon they went to Cosby’s room and how “freaked out” Handler was that she made them come with her. 

The friend adds, “Hello! You could’ve been one of his victims if we weren’t there.” Handler finishes the story by saying “He’s guilty. … I think it’s pretty obvious now.” 

The entire interview is posted on Esquire’s website. 

Photo via Fortune Live Media/Flickr (CC BY ND 2.0)