In the third episode of Showtime’s “We Need to Talk About Cosby,” W. Kamau Bell delves into the comedian’s career in the 1980s. Meanwhile, viewers learn of the growing number of women who accuse him of sexual assault. Near the end, the show talks about Andrea Constand, who would later become the center of a high-profile trial that ended with Cosby’s conviction. So, let’s find out more about her, shall we?

Who is Andrea Constand?

Andrea is originally from Toronto, Canada and played basketball while in college in the United States and then professionally in Italy. In the early 2000s, Andrea took a job at Temple University in Pennsylvania as the operations manager for the women’s basketball team. Around the same time, she met Bill Cosby, a college alumnus. Initially, a friendship developed, with Andrea saying that Cosby had invited her to dinner parties and offered advice regarding her career.

Andrea recalled Cosby making sexual advances towards her in the past when he touched her inappropriately after unbuttoning her pants. But one night in January 2004, it went way beyond that. That night, she said Cosby invited her to his home in Pennsylvania to talk about her career. When Andrea arrived, she said Cosby handed her blue pills and urged her to drink wine. But a few minutes later, Andrea remembered feeling dizzy and losing consciousness.

Cosby then offered to lay her down on the couch, and Andrea later said, “I knew his hands were on my tits. His hands were in my pants and his fingers in my vagina. . . . I also remember him taking my right hand and placing my hand on his penis. . . . I was unable to move my body. I was pretty much frozen. She woke up a few hours later, partially naked, and finally left. However, as Cosby would later say, he thought what happened was consensual, saying, “I can’t hear him say anything, so I’m moving on and getting into the area that’s somewhere between permission and rejection. I haven’t stopped.

While Andrea turned herself in to police in January 2005, authorities ultimately did not press charges as they felt there was not much evidence besides inconsistencies in Andrea’s story. A civil lawsuit was later settled out of court and she was paid over $3 million. In a deposition that was later made public, Cosby then admitted to acquiring quaaludes in the past to give to women he wanted to have sex with.

Additionally, the then-district attorney had agreed not to prosecute Cosby if he made a confession when filing the civil suit. But as more women began to come forward over the years, the new district attorney chose to put Cosby on trial. Ultimately, he was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Andrea and two others. The guilty verdict was good news for Andrea, who believed that testifying against him was the right thing to do.

Where is Andrea Constand now?

Andrea returned to Toronto after the initial incident in 2004. She dealt with anxiety, depression, nightmares and flashbacks at the time. Andrea also expressed her disappointment when Cosby’s conviction was overturned on a technicality in 2021. Despite this, she spoke of not changing her way of doing things, adding: “It was worth it. But it was worth it because I did not feel alone. I had a whole community, a whole army of women and other survivors, strangers, family, friends, who were there with me. Bill Cosby is free, but that doesn’t change the fact that my testimony was believed.

Since then, Andrea has written a book detailing her ordeal, titled The Moment. She still lives in Toronto and runs a massage therapy business there. Additionally, Andrea used her experience to help others and started a non-profit organization called Hope Healing and Transformation. The facility offers support and resources to victims of sexual assault.

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