Bill Cosby drops defamation case against Beverly Johnson

Bill Cosby has dropped a defamation lawsuit against supermodel Beverly Johnson, who accused the comedian of drugging her in the 1980s.

Court records show Cosby's lawyers dropped the suit on Feb. 19.

His attorney Monique Pressley wrote in an email Thursday that Cosby made the move to focus on his defense in a criminal case in Pennsylvania.

Cosby is charged there with drugging and sexually assaulting a former Temple University employee at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. He has denied the allegations.

Pressley wrote that Cosby plans to re-file the case against Johnson before the statute of limitations expires.

The supermodel has repeatedly accused Cosby of slipping a drug into her cappuccino in his New York home.

The dismissal was first reported Thursday by celebrity website TMZ.

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