Andrea Constand, whose allegations of sexual assault led to Bill Cosby's initial conviction in 2018, is speaking out in her first interview since Cosby was released from prison in June after his conviction was overturned on procedural grounds.
Constand spoke to NBC News senior national correspondent Kate Snow in an exclusive interview on TODAY Tuesday about her reaction to seeing Cosby celebrate his release after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his conviction.
"Disgusting," Constand said. "Didn't surprise me, given the the level of the the arrogance and having no remorse. During the time he was incarcerated, absolutely zero remorse for what he did to me.
"He's a sexually violent predator who basically was let out of jail."
Cosby, 84, was convicted in 2018 on three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and assaulting Constand in 2004. He had served nearly three years of a three- to 10-year sentence when he was released.
He tweeted a statement upon his release: "I have never changed my stance nor my story. I have always maintained my innocence. Thank you to all my fans, supporters and friends who stood by me through this ordeal. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for upholding the rule of law."
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that because the district attorney had promised Cosby in 2005 that he would never be criminally charged and then ended up charging him 10 years later, Cosby's due process rights had been violated.
"I was really shocked," Constand said. "Disappointed."
Constand said that if the district attorney made that promise, she had no idea it happened.
"How can a district attorney enforce a decision on a backroom handshake?" Constand said. "How can you give any credibility to that?"
Upon his release, Cosby hinted that he may want to go back on a comedy tour.
"I don't really care," Constand said. "But anybody that gives him a platform to speak, to joke — rape is not a joke."
Phylicia Rashad, Cosby's former co-star on "The Cosby Show," celebrated his release, tweeting that "a terrible wrong has been righted, a miscarriage of justice is corrected."
"It's disappointing to hear somebody who is in such a powerful position herself not to support survivors," Constand said.
Rashad then apologized to students at her alma mater, Howard University, after facing a backlash from her comments supporting Cosby. She wrote in a letter that her remarks were not directed toward sexual assault survivors and that she vehemently opposes sexual violence.
"I'm really happy to hear that," Constand said. "That's the statement that needed to be said."
Constand added that she would be open to speaking to Rashad "woman to woman."
Despite Cosby's release, Constand has no regrets about speaking out and testifying against him in court. Constand is one of 60 women who have accused Cosby of offenses ranging from groping to sexual assault to rape, dating back to the 1960s.
"I have come way too far to go back to that place to wonder whether it's all worth it, or to have regrets," Constand said. "It was worth it. It was worth it. All the pain, all the heartache all the reputational damage, not only for me, but my family. But it was worth it. Because I didn't feel alone. I had a whole community, a whole army of women and other survivors, strangers, family, friends, who were right there with me."
In her new book, "The Moment: Standing up to Bill Cosby, Speaking up for Women," she writes that she just wanted to be believed.
"It doesn't change anything. Bill Cosby walks free. But it doesn't change the fact that my testimony was believed," she said.
She is concerned that Cosby's conviction being overturned could have a chilling effect on survivors reporting sexual assault.
"As I sit here today, I want to send a message to not let this deter you from coming forward, from getting the peace, and the healing and the closure that you need," she said.