A California jury has ruled that comedian Bill Cosby is liable for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman more than 50 years ago, adding another chapter to the long legal saga surrounding the once-dominant television star.
The verdict, delivered Monday in California, orders Cosby to pay $59.25 million in damages to Donna Motsinger, a former waitress who accused the comedian of assaulting her in 1972. Jurors awarded $17.5 million for past emotional trauma and another $1.75 million for future suffering. The panel also imposed $40 million in punitive damages.
Cosby’s legal team quickly signaled the fight is not over. His attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, said the defense plans to challenge the decision in court. In a statement to The Associated Press, Bonjean said the team was “disappointed by the verdict” and intends to file an appeal.
Motsinger’s lawsuit traces the incident back to her time working at The Trident, a well-known Bay Area restaurant that once hosted celebrities and touring performers. According to court filings, Cosby invited her to attend one of his comedy shows at the now-closed Circle Star Theater.
The complaint says Cosby arranged a limousine and offered her wine during the ride to the show. Motsinger alleges that after arriving backstage she began feeling ill and accepted what Cosby described as an aspirin.
Soon afterward, she said she lost consciousness.
“Next thing she knew, she was going in and out of consciousness while two men attending to Mr. Cosby were putting her in the limousine,” the complaint states.
Motsinger later testified she woke at home partially undressed and concluded she had been drugged and assaulted.
Her lawsuit also targeted Cosby’s production company, Jemmin Inc., claiming the company was “vicariously liable” for his actions. The suit further alleged employees at the Circle Star Theater “knew or should have known of the dangerous drugged and sedated state” she experienced.
The verdict adds to Cosby’s long list of legal battles. In 2018, a Pennsylvania jury convicted him of sexual assault in a case involving Andrea Constand. However, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court vacated that conviction in 2021 after ruling prosecutors violated a prior agreement.
Cosby has consistently denied the allegations. The latest civil ruling, however, keeps the controversy surrounding the former television icon in the national spotlight.
