A jury awarded Bill Cosby $59 million Monday after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a woman while he worked as a waitress in 1972.
Plaintiff Donna Motsinger claims in her lawsuit that Cosby picked her up in a limousine, took her to a comedy show in San Carlos, California, then drugged her and raped her. Mr. Motsinger worked at the Trident in Sausalito, and Mr. Cosby was a regular visitor while recording a stand-up album at a nearby theater.
According to her complaint, Cosby befriended her and invited her to his show. She claimed that Cosby offered her wine in the limousine and that she felt sick when she got to her dressing room. She began to drift in and out of consciousness, then woke up at home with all her clothes off except for her underwear.
The trial began in early March. The jury awarded $19.25 million in damages and also ruled that Cosby must pay punitive damages. After further deliberations Monday afternoon, the jury awarded $40 million in additional punitive damages.
“This verdict is not just about me; it is about finally hearing and holding Mr. Cosby accountable,” Mottsinger said in a statement. “I have carried the weight of what happened to me for over 50 years. It will never go away. Today, a jury saw the truth and held him accountable, and that means everything. I hope this gives strength to other survivors who are still waiting for their moment to be heard.”
Cosby’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, said he plans to appeal the ruling.
“We are disappointed, but we intend to appeal,” she said.
Cosby has denied drugging Motosinger or sexually assaulting her. His lawyers also called her rape allegations “speculation” and claimed she had no recollection of what happened.
Motsinger filed her lawsuit in 2023, a year after California Governor Gavin Newsom approved a law temporarily suspending the statute of limitations for certain sexual assault lawsuits.
“We are grateful to the jury for paying close attention to the evidence, and to Mr. Motsinger for having the extraordinary courage it took to come forward,” Motsinger’s attorney, Jesse Creed, said in a statement. “This verdict makes clear that fame and influence cannot be used as a shield for abuse. For decades, Bill Cosby has used his power to exploit and silence women like Ms. Motsinger. Today, a jury saw through that and held him accountable.”
Cosby, 88, was previously ordered to pay $500,000 to Judy Hughes for assaulting a 16-year-old woman at the Playboy Mansion in 1975, but Cosby withdrew his appeal of that sentence in January.
Cosby was also convicted of sexual assault in Pennsylvania in 2018. He served three years in prison before an appeals court overturned his conviction, saying prosecutors had violated a prior agreement not to prosecute.
Updated punitive damages amount.
