Updated

A 72-year-old New Hampshire woman who says Bill Cosby raped her in 1965 has withdrawn her civil defamation lawsuit against the comedian.

Kristina Ruehli filed a notice to voluntarily dismiss the suit Friday. It came after a federal judge in Springfield, near where Cosby has a home, rejected the comedian's bid to dismiss the case Thursday.

Ruehli's lawyer, Megan Deluhery, tells The Associated Press her client has decided not to pursue the lawsuit because the legal landscape has changed.

Cosby now faces criminal prosecution in Pennsylvania. Civil actions also remain in play in Massachusetts and elsewhere by dozens of other accusers.

Cosby spokesman Andrew Wyatt said his client hopes more lawsuits are dropped or dismissed and that Cosby looks forward to fighting the rest in court.

"This is now the second of these defamation cases that has been dismissed, either by a Court or by a party," a lawyer for Cosby stated. "... For those in the media who accepted every allegation raised without question or evaluation, they need to answer the well-known question with respect to Mr. Cosby, 'Which office do I go to get my reputation back?'”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.