Lawyers representing embattled comedian Bill Cosby have formally asked a federal court judge to dismiss a defamation suit filed against him by three women who are accusing him of sexual assault decades ago.

The 77-year-old comedian has been accused by dozens of women, who allege that he has drugged and raped them throughout his long career stretching back to the 1960s, claims that Cosby has denied, according to a Reuters report. The statute of limitations has run out for almost all of the claims against him, and he is not currently facing any charges.

Lawyers had announced earlier in the week that they would file a dismissal request with the court.

The three woman sued Cosby in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, where he has a home, and contended that he defamed them when they made their allegations of sexual assault.

Cosby’s lawyers are attempting to have the case dismissed on the basis that “this is not an action for sexual assault,” further arguing that it was a “misuse of the law of defamation” attempting to get around the statute of limitations for the alleged assaults.

More than 30 women so far have accused Cosby of drugging or sexually assaulting them, or both. Cosby has so far not only denied it, he’s been unwilling to even discuss the claims.

Although the sudden rush of women to accuse Cosby is new, sexual assault allegations against him are not. A woman filed a police report against him in February 2000 alleging he had groped her in his apartment, and a Temple University employee accused him of drugging and fondling her in January 2004. Another woman came forward in February 2005 alleging he had drugged and assault her in 1969.

The recent flood of accusations began in November 2014 when a number of women that included actresses and Playboy Playmates alleged that he had sexually assault women many times between 1965 and 2004.