Daughter of Bill Cosby's Mistress Tried to Extort Him for $40M - She Refused a DNA Test to Check Paternity

Bill Cosby's alleged daughter extorted the actor-comedian for $40M. However, when it was time to prove she is genuinely Cosby's child, the young lady declined to take a DNA test and landed a verdict of 12 years in prison.

Throughout a long-standing career in the entertainment industry, Bill Cosby, the first black man to win an Emmy Award for acting, was top on the tabloids for numerous scandals. Even after he retired, Cosby continued to make headlines for scandalous affairs.

One of the American stand-up comedian's many scandals was an extramarital affair with Shawn Berkes, a secretary he met at a Los Angeles nightclub. While Cosby's wife, Camille, was taking care of their home Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, the star was away in Los Angeles, working or with his mistress.

AN AFFAIR WITH SHAWN BERKES

In 1971, seven years after Cosby and Camille's young marriage at a sizeable multipurpose hall at a Catholic church in Olney, Maryland, the couple living in Los Angeles decided to move because they wanted a change.

At the time, Cosby was becoming more successful with his career, and Camille once said as the family made more money, it affected their lifestyle. However, while the comedian's wife moved to Shelburne Falls with their three children, he shuffled between Los Angeles where he worked and the family's new home.

During this time, Cosby met Berkes with whom he may have fathered a child. While the "Ghost Dad" actor's wife was 3,000 miles away with their kids, Cosby was busy spending time with his mistress.

Cosby met the secretary at a nightclub in Los Angeles, and it wasn't until later that the actor revealed he instigated their relationship. Once reflecting on the extramarital affair Cosby who met Berkes in the early 1970s, testified to requesting her number.

He revealed the next thing he did was a call to invite Berkes to Las Vegas, which was how their romance started. However, after enjoying their secret affair, Berkes confronted the comedian, saying she gave birth to his child.

However, Cosby denied fathering the child, but he went on to pay for her care and even had a relationship with his alleged daughter. According to the comedian's statement, Berkes said she had no intentions to embrace his family after showing him Autumn Jackson's photos, but she later started borrowing money.

He also said she always hinted at how Jackson was his daughter, and she hadn't told anyone. The "Let's Do It Again" actor paid an estimated $100,000 out of concern that she would go public about their affair and the children.

But Cosby was careful enough not to put his name on checks in case Berkes ever thought to use it against him. He also paid for Jackson's college education through his lawyer.

Aside from paying for Jackson's schooling, the comedian started having conversations with his alleged daughter. Cosby confirmed he sometimes talked to Jackson and advised her to say school, but he never allowed her to call him father.

The actor-comedian considered opting for a DNA test, but he was scared it would go public. However, he said he told Camille about the affair. In an Oprah Winfrey interview, Camille also confirmed that she was aware of the affair long before the girl's extortion attempt.

JACKSON'S THREATS TO GET MONEY

In the years that passed, the once young Jackson's had grown into an adult that would later try to extort money from Cosby. Despite being very careful in keeping his affair with Berkes a secret, when his alleged daughter Jackson grew up, she tried getting money from Cosby with threats of going public about being his daughter.

When Jackson was about 17, she visited Cosby at his workplace, and during this time, the girl referred to him as "Mr. Cosby." However, this was the pair's last physical encounter till she went to college, but they did remain in contact through phone calls.

Cosby once revealed he began speaking to Jackson more frequently during her college years with intentions to help her succeed. However, one day, his secretary notified him about a call from someone who claimed to be Autumn Cosby.

When Cosby called back, the young lady who had dropped out of college spoke to him about some TV project she was working on with Medina in Los Angeles and that she wanted to borrow $2,100. She also mentioned needing money for her car, which she was about to lose.

Cosby asked why she had used his last name when she called, but the young lady replied, saying she did not say anything about their relationship. The comedian then gave Jackson $3,000, but that wasn't satisfying, and she started threatening the actor's lawyer.

Cosby revealed she told his lawyer she had an unsigned contract from the Globe and demanded millions for her silence. By this time, Cosby was already getting tired of her threats.

The actor made it known he told Jackson he would $200 a week for her to attend film classes, and that was all she was getting. But, Jackson went on demanding $40 million, and this time, Cosby had his lawyer call her mother to notify her about the girl's threats. A furious Cosby said:

"I wanted her mother to know what she was doing."

COSBY'S LAWSUIT

Cosby was finally done with Jackson's scheme to get money out of him, and in the end, Cosby filed a lawsuit against the young lady. Jackson was convicted for trying to extort money from the actor, and during their legal dispute, Cosby finally demanded a DNA test be done.

However, Attorney Wanda Akin later said in an interview that the paternity test was not in Autumn Jackson's best interests. The decision, she said, was reached after consulting with Jackson's attorney Robert Baum.

But Cosby's attorney said the DNA was in Jackson's best interests as the comedy icon wanted her to be sure who her biological father was. However, Jackson's mother, Berkes, didn't agree to this and said Cosby should have taken the test earlier.

Jackson was later charged with 12 years in prison, and the paternity issue wasn't considered. She was, however, released one day after conviction, and Edward Zas, the attorney who argued her appeal, said she was relieved to be out.