US TV host Jay Leno has said dozens of women who accuse comedian Bill Cosby of sexually abusing them have endured sexist and unfair criticism.

“I keep reading the comments ‘liars’, and ‘why didn’t they come forward before?’,” the former Tonight Show host said.

But he said men who delayed sharing stories of abuse were readily believed. He said the experience should be viewed as the same for women and men who hid an assault out of shame and addressed it years later.

“When women do it, somehow it’s a scam,” Leno said, attributing the reaction to “ingrained” sexism.

He spoke after a panel at the Television Critics Association summer meeting at which he discussed his new CNBC show, Jay Leno’s Garage.