Bill Cosby has dropped a defamation lawsuit against former supermodel Beverly Johnson, who accused the comedian of drugging her in the 1980s.

Court records show Cosby’s lawyers dropped the suit on February 19.

His lawyer, Monique Pressley, wrote in an email on Thursday that Cosby made the move to focus on his defence in a criminal case in Pennsylvania.

• Bill Cosby’s wife to testify
• Kanye West claims that Bill Cosby is ‘innocent’
• Model drops lawsuit against Bill Cosby

Cosby is charged there with drugging and sexually assaulting a former Temple University employee at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. He has denied the allegations.

Pressley wrote that Cosby plans to re-file the case against Johnson before the statute of limitations expires.

The supermodel has repeatedly accused Cosby of slipping a drug into her cappuccino in his New York home.

The dismissal was first reported on Thursday by celebrity website TMZ.