Bill Cosby is facing a significant legal and financial setback after a California jury ruled against him in a decades-old sexual assault case. The 88-year-old entertainer was found liable for drugging and sexually assaulting Donna Motsinger in 1972, with jurors awarding her $19.25 million in damages. The decision marks yet another chapter in Bill Cosby’s ongoing legal battles.
Jury Sides With Accuser After Three Days Of Deliberations In Bill Cosby Case
The trial, which began on March 10 and lasted nearly two weeks, included testimony from other Cosby accusers such as Andrea Constand, Victoria Valentino, and Janice Baker Kinney. An additional five women were also permitted to take the stand, sharing accounts of similar alleged behavior to help demonstrate a pattern.
The verdict came after jurors deliberated for three days, ultimately siding with Motsinger’s account of what happened more than 50 years ago, per the New York Times.
According to court proceedings, Motsinger, a former waitress, alleged that Bill Cosby invited her to one of his comedy shows before giving her wine and a pill that left her incapacitated. She claimed the assault occurred after she was unable to fully comprehend or resist what was happening.
Cosby did not testify during the trial, and the jury ultimately found Motsinger’s testimony credible.
Donna Motsinger Speaks Out After 54-Year Fight For Justice
Following the decision, Motsinger addressed the outcome publicly, reflecting on the decades-long wait for justice. “It has been 54 years to get justice, and I know it’s not complete for the rest of the women, but I hope it helps them a little bit,” she said, calling the damages “icing on the cake.”
Motsinger also emphasized the emotional weight of being believed after so many years. “That I’m believed and he in some way has to be accountable for what he did to me,” she said.
Bill Cosby Plans Appeal After $19M Verdict Loss
Bill Cosby has continued to deny the allegations, maintaining his long-standing position that any encounters were consensual.
His attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, reacted swiftly to the verdict and confirmed plans to challenge the outcome. “I was obviously disappointed in the decision, but we believe we have a strong appeal and we’ll pursue that,” she said.
The jury also determined that additional punitive damages should be considered, though that amount has not yet been finalized.
Cosby Verdict Adds To Growing List Of Civil Cases Against Him
The case adds to a growing list of civil rulings against Bill Cosby, even after his criminal conviction in Pennsylvania was overturned in 2021 due to procedural issues. That conviction stemmed from the case of Andrea Constand, who also testified in the Motsinger trial, along with two other accusers. Cosby had previously served three years of a three-to-10-year sentence before being released.
In 2022, a Santa Monica jury found Cosby liable for sexually abusing Judy Huth, who was just 16 years old at the time, and ordered him to pay $500,000 in damages. That case, like the current one, added to the growing list of civil rulings against the once-beloved entertainer.
Motsinger’s lawsuit was also made possible due to California’s “look-back” law, which temporarily lifted the statute of limitations, allowing survivors of sexual assault to file civil claims even decades after the alleged incidents occurred.
More than 60 women have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct spanning decades. As many know, these cases have continued to reinforce accusations that Cosby used his fame and influence to exploit women, a narrative that gained widespread attention during the #MeToo movement.
Bill Cosby Says Career Collapse Has Tanked His Net Worth
Beyond the courtroom, Bill Cosby has also revealed the toll the allegations have taken on his career and finances.
“Due to allegations, whether they be newspaper, radio, television, magazines or just plain internet, I have not worked in about 10 years, or more,” he said in the deposition. “That means I have not earned a cent through my being an entertainer, a writer, a television performer, except in reruns, and my net worth has gone down like a submarine with no motor.”
In recent years, Bill Cosby has faced foreclosure on properties and sold a Manhattan townhouse for $28 million.