Topless Protestor at Cosby Trial Identified as ‘Cosby Show’ Actress

Day one of Bill Cosby’s retrial got off to a headline-grabbing start when a topless protestor jumped a barricade and made it within a few feet of the accused. The topless woman, identified as 39-year-old Nicolle Rochelle of Little Falls, NJ, had “Women’s Lives Matter” written in red on her torso along with the names of more than 50 of Cosby’s other accusers. Sheriff’s deputies intercepted Rochelle before she reached Cosby and led her away in handcuffs. She was later released.

Rochelle has a connection to Cosby, as she is an actress who made a number of appearances on The Cosby Show during seasons 6-8 as a character credited as Davina and Danielle. She appeared in the episodes “Rudy’s Walk on the Wild Side,” “The Infantry Has Landed (and They’ve Fallen Off the Roof),” “Warning: A Double-Lit Candle Can Cause a Meltdown,” and “Eat, Drink and Be Wary.”

Prior to her appearances on The Cosby Show, Rochelle–as Nicole Leach–was a regular on Shining Time Station where she played Tanya, and on The Baby-Sitters Club as Jessi. After The Cosby Show, Rochelle had a recurring role on the Nickelodeon sitcom Clarissa Explains it All as Clarissa’s quasi-psychic friend Olivia.

The European feminist group named Femen claims that Rochelle is one of their own and acted on their behalf as a way to draw attention to the other women that have accused Cosby of assault and rape. Cosby is being tried again in regards to an allegation that he drugged and raped a former athletic department staffer at Temple University in 2004.

(via the Washington Post)