A jury on Monday awarded a $59 million judgment against Bill Cosby, after finding him liable for sexually assaulting a woman who was working as a waitress in 1972.
The plaintiff, Donna Motsinger, alleged in her lawsuit that Cosby drugged and raped her after picking her up in a limousine and bringing her to his comedy show in San Carlos, Calif. Motsinger was working at the Trident in Sausalito, and Cosby came in regularly while recording a stand-up album at a nearby theater.
According to her complaint, Cosby befriended her and invited her to the show. She alleged that Cosby offered her a glass of wine in the limo, and that she began to feel sick when she got to his dressing room. She began to go in and out of consciousness, and later awoke in her own home with all of her clothes off except her underwear.
The trial began in early March. The jury awarded $19.25 million in compensatory damages, and also found that Cosby should have to pay punitive damages. After further deliberations on Monday afternoon, the jury awarded an additional $40 million in punitive damages.
“This verdict is not just about me – it’s about finally being heard and holding Mr. Cosby accountable,” Motsinger said in a statement. “I have carried the weight of what happened to me for more than 50 years. It never goes away. Today, a jury saw the truth and held him accountable. 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 she would appeal the verdict.
“We are disappointed but will be appealing,” she said.
Cosby denied drugging Motsinger or sexually assaulting her. His lawyers also called her rape allegation “speculative,” arguing that she did not remember what occurred.
Motsinger filed the lawsuit in 2023, a year after California Gov. Gavin Newsom approved a law temporarily suspending the statute of limitations for certain sex assault claims.
“We are grateful to the jury for their careful attention to the evidence and to Ms. Motsinger for the extraordinary courage it took to come forward,” said Jesse Creed, Motsinger’s attorney. “This verdict makes clear that fame and influence cannot be used as a shield for abuse. For decades, Bill Cosby 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 Huth, a woman who alleged that he assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion in 1975, when she was 16. Cosby withdrew his appeal of that verdict in January.
Cosby was also convicted in 2018 on sex assault charges in Pennsylvania. He served three years in prison before an appeals court threw out the conviction on the grounds that the prosecutors had violated an earlier agreement not to bring charges.
Updated with the punitive damages award.