A US court has found Bill Cosby responsible for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 1972 and has ordered him to pay $19.25 million in damages. The decision came after a nearly two week trial in Santa Monica and marks another major legal development involving the comedian, who was released from prison five years ago.
The case was brought by Donna Motsinger, now 84, who said the incident happened more than 50 years ago when she was working as a waitress. According to her statement, Cosby first met her at the restaurant where she worked and later invited her to one of his comedy shows in a nearby city. She said he picked her up in a limousine and offered her wine along with what she believed was aspirin.
Motsinger told the court that after consuming the drink and the pill, she began to feel disoriented and started losing consciousness. She said the next thing she remembered was waking up at home wearing only her underwear. In her lawsuit, filed in 2023, she stated that she believed she had been drugged and sexually assaulted.
Cosby’s legal team argued that he does not remember any such incident. They also said that if any interaction did happen, it was consensual. His lawyers questioned the claims, saying they were based on assumptions rather than clear memory. Despite this, the jury ruled in favor of Motsinger.
The jury awarded her $17.5 million for past suffering and $1.75 million for future impact. These damages include emotional pain, mental distress, loss of enjoyment in life, and other long term effects. Cosby did not take the stand during the trial. His attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, said they are disappointed with the outcome and plan to appeal the decision.
This case was heard in the same courthouse where another jury in 2022 ordered Cosby to pay damages to a different accuser in a separate case. Over the years, many women have come forward with similar allegations against him, accusing him of drugging and assaulting them.
Cosby was previously sentenced to prison in 2018 in another case but was released in 2021 after his conviction was overturned due to a legal technicality. This latest verdict adds to the long list of legal battles surrounding the former entertainer.