A federal appeals court won't rehear a defamation lawsuit filed against Bill Cosby by a woman who said he raped her decades ago.

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently denied Kathrine McKee's request for a full-court hearing. A three-judge panel of the court had ruled against her in October.

The former actress said Cosby defamed her in a letter his lawyer sent to the New York Daily News demanding a retraction of a story about McKee's allegations. Cosby's lawyers said the letter was protected by the First Amendment.

McKee was among dozens of women who went public with allegations against Cosby. Cosby has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

A separate defamation lawsuit filed by seven other women is also pending in Massachusetts, where Cosby owns a home.