Bill Cosby Held Responsible for 1972 Drugging and Assault; Jury Grants $19 Million to Former Waitress
A Santa Monica jury has delivered a verdict of $19.25 million in damages, holding Bill Cosby liable for drugging and raping Donna Motsinger 54 years ago.
Though questions remain regarding Cosby’s ability to pay the judgment, his attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, has indicated that an appeal is in the works. Like in previous sexual assault cases, the 88-year-old comedian did not testify in his own defense.
After just three days of deliberation, the jury found Cosby liable for claims of sexual assault against an intoxicated woman and sexual battery. Motsinger, now 84, is to receive $17.5 million for past mental trauma and an additional $1.75 million for anticipated future mental suffering. This ruling was made possible by recent changes in California’s statute of limitations regarding sex crimes.
During a deposition shown at the trial, Cosby was asked if he had sexual relations with Motsinger, to which he responded, “I cannot remember if I did or not.”
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Further punitive damages related to “malice, oppression, or fraud” attributed to Cosby are still pending. This segment of the case is expected to commence shortly at the Santa Monica Courthouse.
Throughout these proceedings, Cosby has consistently maintained that he has never engaged in nonconsensual sex. His legal team continues to assert that he is being unjustly targeted due to his cultural status.
The comedian, who has faced numerous allegations of sexual misconduct over the years, was sued by Motsinger in 2023 after reportedly selling off multimillion-dollar properties to address financial difficulties.
Motsinger’s lawsuit detailed their initial meeting at her workplace, where she was invited to one of Cosby’s comedy shows at the Circle Star Theatre in San Carlos, CA. During the show, she became ill backstage, leading to an incident in which she alleged Cosby gave her what she believed was an aspirin. She recalled waking up in her home with minimal clothing and no memory of the events that transpired.
The alleged drugging and rape occurred the same night Cosby recorded his acclaimed album, *Inside the Mind of Bill Cosby*.
Since 2014, after a stand-up routine by Hannibal Buress garnered widespread attention, Cosby has faced a barrage of sexual assault allegations. In 2018, he was convicted of the 2004 rape of former Temple University administrator Andrea Constand, following a earlier mistrial in 2017.
Cosby was sentenced to serve three to ten years in prison for the Constand case, but his conviction was overturned on procedural grounds by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in June 2021, resulting in his release shortly thereafter. Since then, he has made limited public appearances and has continued to confront additional legal challenges, including from Constand herself.
Constand was among those who testified during the Motsinger trial, alongside several other women who have accused Cosby of similar assaults.
Notably, in the same courthouse where Cosby was found guilty in the Motsinger case, he was convicted in June 2022 of sexually assaulting Judy Huth at the Playboy Mansion when she was 16 years old. In that trial, a jury awarded Huth $500,000 in damages.
