Jury Orders Bill Cosby to Pay $19m in Decades-Old Assault Case

A jury in California has ordered Bill Cosby to pay $19.25m (£14.3m) in damages to a former waitress after finding he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1972.

The plaintiff, Donna Motsinger, told the court that Cosby gave her wine and a pill—believed to be aspirin—that left her incapacitated after picking her up in a limousine to attend one of his shows. She said she drifted in and out of consciousness, recalling only flashes of light before later waking up at home partially clothed and realising she had been assaulted.

Cosby, now 88, has consistently denied Motsinger’s allegations, as well as similar claims made by numerous women over the years in both civil and criminal proceedings. His legal team indicated that he plans to appeal the verdict.

The case was heard in Santa Monica, where jurors ruled in favour of Motsinger and awarded compensatory damages, with the possibility of additional punitive damages still to be determined.

Motsinger, now 84, had worked at the Trident restaurant in Sausalito, a popular venue frequented by celebrities during the 1970s. According to court filings, Cosby invited her to one of his performances and allegedly administered the drug during the journey.

Cosby’s defence argued that Motsinger could not definitively recall what happened and challenged the credibility of her claims. His lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, told US media that the ruling would be contested on appeal.

The case adds to a long list of legal battles that have defined Cosby’s later years. Once widely celebrated for his role in The Cosby Show, his legacy has been overshadowed by allegations of sexual misconduct dating back decades.

In 2021, Cosby was released from prison in Pennsylvania after serving nearly three years of a sentence for sexual assault, when his conviction was overturned on a legal technicality. He has maintained that all encounters were consensual.