Bill Cosby Found Liable for 1972 Sexual Assault, Ordered to Pay Over $19 Million in Damages

A civil jury in Southern California has found Bill Cosby liable for sexual assault dating back to 1972, awarding the plaintiff, Donna Motsinger, more than $19 million in damages. The verdict was reached after a nearly two-week trial in Santa Monica, where jurors determined that the 88-year-old former entertainer was responsible for drugging and sexually assaulting Motsinger, who was then a restaurant server in Northern California. The jury awarded $17.5 million for past damages and $1.75 million for future damages related to mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional distress. A punitive damages phase of the trial is set to begin shortly.

Motsinger’s lawsuit, filed in 2023, alleges that Cosby invited her to a stand-up comedy show in San Carlos, California, where he gave her wine and two pills she believed to be aspirin. She claimed to have lost consciousness and later awoke in her home partially undressed, asserting that she had been drugged and raped by Cosby. Cosby’s legal team disputed the allegations, arguing that the claims were based on speculation and that Motsinger herself admitted uncertainty about what happened. Cosby did not testify during the trial.

This civil case follows a series of allegations against Cosby from more than 60 women accusing him of rape, sexual assault, and harassment, all of which he has denied. In 2018, Cosby was convicted in Pennsylvania on three counts of aggravated indecent assault related to the 2004 case involving Andrea Constand, a former Temple University administrator. However, that conviction was overturned in 2021 by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which ruled that Cosby had been denied protection against self-incrimination during his deposition. Cosby was released after serving nearly three years of a three- to ten-year sentence.

Cosby’s former representative issued a statement expressing sadness over the verdict and criticized it for setting a precedent that allows decades-old allegations to stand without evidence. The current trial in California is separate from the Pennsylvania criminal case and highlights ongoing legal challenges faced by Cosby related to historical sexual abuse claims. The jury’s decision marks a significant development in the civil litigation against the former television star, who once held a prominent place in American entertainment.