Hugh Hefner: Cosby allegations 'saddening'

The Los Angeles Police Department opened an investigation Friday into a woman's claim that Bill Cosby molested her at the Playboy Mansion when she was 15, a department spokeswoman said.

Judy Huth says the comedian forced her to perform a sex act on him in a bedroom at the storied party house in 1974. On Wednesday, she filed a civil suit against Cosby for sexual battery.

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner issued a statement on the scandal Saturday.

"Bill Cosby has been a good friend for many years and the mere thought of these allegations is truly saddening," he said. "I would never tolerate this kind of behavior, regardless of who was involved."

Attorney Gloria Allred says Huth met with a pair of special victims unit detectives and vowed, "We are going to provide any and all evidence that she has." Neither Allred nor Huth took any questions at a news conference Friday.

Martin Singer, attorney for the embattled comedian, accused Huth and a different attorney, Marc Strecker, of extortion. His court filings say they demanded $100,000 in exchange for her silence and then upped their price to $250,000 as more women went public with their own accusations.

More than 15 individuals have come forward so far with allegations of assault. However, Cosby has yet to be accused of a crime.

LAPD chief Charlie Beck has urged urged potential sexual assault victims of Cosby to contact police, regardless of whether their claims were outside the statute of limitations.

Across town, a cleanup crew was assigned to tend to Cosby's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where the word "rapist" has been scrawled several times.

Meanwhile, Friday also saw a new Cosby accuser step forward in Chicago, and her story also relates to Hefner.

Former Playboy Club employee P.J. Masten told the Associated Press and CNN that she woke up naked and bruised in a bed with Cosby in Chicago in 1979 after he gave her an alcoholic drink. Masten said she believes she was raped and was told not to report the assault because of the close friendship between Hefner and Cosby.

She ended her silence this week after hearing Huth's story from the Playboy Mansion.

"I just want him exposed for the serial druggie rapist that he is," Masten said. "He's got to be stopped. I don't care if he's 77 years old. He's got to be stopped."

Contributing: The Associated Press