Bill Cosby (88) Ordered to Pay $19 Million After Jury Rules Him Guilty in Chilling Abuse Case

A California jury has ordered Bill Cosby to pay $19.25 million to a former waitress after finding him liable for s**** assault that happened more than 50 years ago. The case centers on Donna Motsinger, now 84, who claims Cosby drugged and assaulted her after picking her up to attend one of his shows in 1972.

Motsinger said Cosby gave her wine and a pill that left her incapacitated. According to court filings 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 raped.

Cosby, 88, has denied Motsinger’s allegations, as well as similar claims made by other women in both civil and criminal cases over the years. He was released from a Pennsylvania prison in 2021, nearly 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 the verdict. The jury in Santa Monica may also award additional punitive damages, which have not yet been decided. Cosby’s lawyers have argued in court documents that Motsinger “freely admits that she has no idea what happened,” according to the AP.

Motsinger worked as a waitress at the Trident restaurant in Sausalito, near San Francisco, a popular spot for celebrities in the 1970s. Cosby, who rose to fame with The Cosby Show in the 1980s and 90s, saw his reputation collapse after dozens of women accused him of rape, s**** misconduct, and harassment dating back to the 1960s. He has consistently maintained that all encounters were consensual.

This verdict marks one of the largest civil awards against Cosby and highlights the ongoing legal consequences of historical s**** assault allegations.

The jury’s decision shows that courts are willing to hold high-profile figures accountable, even decades after alleged incidents. What do you think about this ruling against Cosby? Share your thoughts in the comments.