Mpls. native to appear on 'Dateline' with 26 other Cosby accusers

Minneapolis native Eden Tirl said that being among 26 other accusers of Bill Cosby for the shooting of a "Dateline" segment airing Friday "has forged bonds that are inexplicable."

Tirl, 49, appeared in two "Cosby Show" episodes in 1989 and in August joined more than 50 others in accusing the once-revered television and comedic superstar of sexual misconduct ranging from unwanted workplace sexual harassment to drugging and rape.

Tirl, a DeLaSalle High School graduate, went public at a news conference with her experience. She said Cosby got her in a locked room while she was working on the "Cosby" episodes, pulled her into him, and whispered, " 'See, this was all that we were going to do: Make love. This is making love.' He turned me around, hugged me and left without saying a word."

During NBC's shooting of the "Dateline" segment in a Los Angeles hotel in early September, Tirl said, "It's insane that people actually think that any of us would've … come together to bring down some celebrity whose celebrity has already started to fade long before we came forward."

Tirl, who lives in the Los Angeles area, said in a telephone interview Thursday, "Many of us women, we communicate together privately. This is our first time meeting. … This has forged bonds that are very inexplicable. That has been very special. Now people have others to lean on."

Tirl said many of the women have become activists and use their experience with Cosby to shine a light on sexual harassment.

"It's a conversation that needs to be had," Tirl said. "It's a rampant problem. The Bill Cosby case is one story, but this is happening all day, every day in every country."

Tirl moved to Hollywood four days after graduating from high school. She stays in close touch with many school friends, and her parents and a brother still live in the Twin Cities.

Along with collecting acting credits under her birth name, Eden Svendahl, she was a model and now is a writer and executive editor of Notably Smitten,a website where she guides people on how to shop in support of companies and individuals committed to helping others with compassion.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482