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Bill Cosby has been mandated to pay $19.25 million in damages following a civil jury’s decision in favor of Donna Motsinger, a former waitress who accused the comedian of drugging and sexually assaulting her. This verdict marks a significant moment in Motsinger’s long quest for justice, spanning over five decades.
Outside the courthouse in Santa Monica, California, Motsinger expressed her relief to the New York Times, stating, “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.” Her words highlight the long and arduous journey she and many other women have faced in seeking accountability.
The jury awarded Motsinger $17.5 million for past damages and an additional $1.75 million for future damages. These compensations account for the profound impact on her life, including “mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, inconvenience, grief, anxiety, humiliation, and emotional distress.”
In the narrative that emerged in court, the jury concurred that Cosby, now 88, had sexually assaulted and battered Motsinger while she was working as a waitress in 1972 in Sausalito, California. This incident adds to the troubling legacy that has followed Cosby in recent years.
Details from a document filed in Los Angeles Superior Court recount the events leading up to the assault. After Motsinger served Cosby at The Trident restaurant, he approached her as she was returning to her home in Mill Valley. Cosby invited her to attend his show at the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos later that evening, an invitation Motsinger accepted. This marked the beginning of a night that would alter her life forever.
Motsinger said Cosby picked her up in a limousine from her house and gave her a glass of wine along the way, but she started feeling sick, so he gave her what she thought was aspirin. After that, she recalled going in and out of consciousness.
“She woke up in her house with all her clothes off, except her underwear on – no top, no bra, and no pants,” her attorney stated. “She knew she had been drugged and raped by Bill Cosby.”
Cosby, who has denied Motsinger’s accusations, as well as those of dozens of women in past cases, admitted during a deposition for the trial that he received multiple refills for Quaaludes from a gynecologist at a poker game, according to TMZ.
Cosby’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, said in an email that they are disappointed and fully intend to appeal the verdict.
Once a widely beloved figure referred to as “America’s Dad,” Cosby served three years for sexual assault before the conviction was overturned in 2021 for procedural reasons.