World | Tue Apr 26, 2016 12:28pm EDT

Cosby loses bid to force New York magazine to hand over reporters' notes

The comedian Bill Cosby lost his bid on Tuesday to force the publisher of New York magazine to comply with a subpoena seeking reporters' notes and other material for a cover story last year chronicling 35 women's sexual assault claims against him.

U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe in Manhattan ruled against Cosby's effort to compel New York Media LLC to provide access to unedited interviews of six women interviewed for the story who are pursuing a civil lawsuit against him.

More than 50 women have publicly accused Cosby of sexually assaulting them, often after plying them with alcohol or drugs, in incidents dating back decades. Cosby is best known for his role as the father in the 1980s television hit "The Cosby Show."

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)