Jury Finds Cosby Liable for 1972 Assault, Awards $19.25M

A California jury found comedian Bill Cosby liable on Monday for drugging and sexually assaulting Donna Motsinger more than five decades ago, awarding the now-84-year-old plaintiff 19.25 million dollars in damages in a civil trial at the Santa Monica Superior Court.

The verdict stemmed from events in 1972, when Motsinger worked as a waitress at the Trident restaurant in Sausalito. According to her lawsuit filed in 2023, Cosby, a regular patron, invited her to attend a performance of his at the Circle Star Theatre in San Carlos. A limousine transported her to the venue, where Cosby offered her wine that made her feel ill. He then provided what she believed to be an aspirin, but she soon lost consciousness. Motsinger awoke at her home in Mill Valley wearing only her underwear and with no recollection of the intervening hours. She alleged that Cosby had drugged and assaulted her that night, the same evening he recorded his album "Inside the Mind of Bill Cosby."

The two-week trial, which began on March 10, featured testimony from Motsinger and other women who have accused Cosby of similar misconduct, including Andrea Constand and Victoria Valentino. Jurors deliberated for three days...