Bill Cosby agrees to settle 7 defamation lawsuits

Bill Cosby has agreed to settle lawsuits filed by seven women who say he defamed them when he accused them of lying about sexual misconduct allegations.

Filings Friday in federal court in Springfield, Mass., show the two sides have negotiated a settlement since Cosby went to prison last fall in a separate Pennsylvania sex assault case. The 81-year-old comedian is serving a three- to 10-year prison sentence there.

The federal judge overseeing the defamation cases in Massachusetts must still approve the settlement. The terms are confidential.

It’s not yet clear whether Cosby will now drop his counterclaims against the seven women. One of them recently died.

They are among the dozens of women who have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct. He has denied their allegations and is appealing his Pennsylvania conviction.