Bill Cosby (88) Ordered To Pay $19 Million After Guilty Verdict in Abuse Case

A California jury has ordered Bill Cosby to pay $19.25 million in damages to a former waitress after finding he s**** assaulted her more than 50 years ago. The verdict stems from allegations made by Donna Motsinger, now 84, who said Cosby drugged her while taking her to one of his shows in 1972.

Motsinger told the court that Cosby picked her up in a limousine to attend his stand-up performance and gave her a pill she believed was aspirin. According to court documents reported by the Los Angeles Times, “Next thing she knew, she was going in and out of consciousness. The last thing Ms Motsinger recalls were flashes of light.” She said she woke up at home wearing only her underwear and realized she had been drugged and raped by Cosby.

Cosby, 88, has denied the claims, as well as similar allegations made in other civil and criminal cases over the years. He was released from a Pennsylvania prison in 2021, almost three years into a sentence for s***** assault, after his conviction was overturned on a technicality.

His lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, told US media that Cosby plans to appeal Monday’s verdict. The jury could still award additional punitive damages, which have not yet been determined. Cosby’s legal team argued that Motsinger “freely admits that she has no idea what happened,” according to AP news.

Motsinger used to work at the Trident restaurant in Sausalito, near San Francisco, a popular spot for celebrities in the 1970s. Cosby was a frequent visitor at the time.

Cosby, who became a household name with The Cosby Show in the 1980s and 90s, saw his reputation collapse after dozens of women accused him of s**** misconduct, harassment, and rape dating back to the 1960s. He has consistently maintained that all encounters were consensual.

The case highlights the ongoing legal and personal fallout from decades-old allegations, and the jury’s decision marks one of the largest civil awards against the comedian to date.

This verdict reinforces how seriously courts are taking historical s**** assault claims, even decades later. What do you think about the jury’s ruling against Cosby? Share your thoughts in the comments.