U.S. Supreme Court rejects Bill Cosby's bid to avoid defamation lawsuit by former model

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected Bill Cosby's bid to avoid a defamation lawsuit brought by a well-known former model who said the comedian sought to destroy her reputation after she publicly accused him of rape.

The justices, acting six days after Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison in Pennsylvania for a 2004 sexual assault involving another woman, declined to hear his appeal of a lower court ruling allowing the lawsuit brought by Janice Dickinson in state court in California to proceed.