Considering no one has been asking for money....and many of them have been trying to get their stories heard for many many years, I think that "blackmail and attention" are less likely.

As an aside, I have a friend who managed a coffee shop in the Village. Cosby would come in and hire people from time to time. He has stories that make these seem very plausible. The man is not anything like his public persona. He's an outright scumbag.