...with a topless protester outside court

Bill Cosby’s sexual assault retrial has got under way in Pennsylvania – after a topless protester who had appeared on his sitcom caused a commotion outside court.

As Cosby arrived for the hearing, Nicolle Rochelle climbed over a barrier and began shouting 'women's live matter'. She had the slogan, as well as the names of 50 of Cosby's accusers written on her body

The 39-year-old, who had appeared in four episodes of The Cosby Show as a child actor from 1990 to 1992, was charged with disorderly conduct.

She later said she didn’t have any bad experiences with Cosby on the show, but wanted to make him ‘uncomfortable’ as he had done to so many women.

In court, prosecutors revealed that in 2006, Cosby paid nearly $3.4 million to Andrea Constand, the woman he is charged with assaulting.

The 80-year-old comedian is charged with drugging and molesting Constand at his Philadelphia home in 2004. She claims he gave her pills that made her woozy, then assaulted her as she was incapacitated.

Cosby denies the charges and his defence will make their opening statement later.

Published: 10 Apr 2018