Jury Slams Cosby With Multi-Million Dollar Damages in Fresh Abuse Verdict

A civil jury in California has ordered veteran American entertainer Bill Cosby to pay over $19 million in damages to a woman who accused him of drugging and sexually assaulting her more than five decades ago.
The plaintiff, Donna Motsinger, told the court sitting in Santa Monica that she was a young waitress when the incidents occurred. According to her testimony, the comedian allegedly approached her at her workplace before later inviting her into his limousine, where she was given a drink and what she believed to be medication.
She recounted that she subsequently lost consciousness intermittently and later regained awareness at home under distressing circumstances. Court filings stated that she believed she had been drugged and assaulted.
Cosby, through his legal representatives, denied the allegations, maintaining that he had no recollection of any such encounter and insisted that any interaction, if it occurred, was consensual.
After three days of deliberation, the jury awarded $19.3 million in damages, with indications that the total sum could rise should punitive damages be added.
The ruling adds to a series of legal battles that have trailed the once-revered entertainer, who rose to prominence as the star of The Cosby Show between 1984 and 1992, earning him the nickname “America’s Dad.”
In a related case, a separate jury had in 2022 ordered Cosby to pay damages to another accuser over an incident dating back to the 1970s. Although he was previously convicted in a criminal case in 2018, that conviction was later overturned in 2021 on procedural grounds.
Over the years, dozens of women have come forward with similar allegations against the comedian, spanning several decades, further deepening scrutiny over his legacy in American entertainment.