Court Orders Bill Cosby To Pay Over $19m To Woman Over Alleged 1972 Assault

Bill Cosby has been ordered by a court to pay more than $19,000,000 after being found liable for sexual assault and sexual battery linked to an incident that dates back to 1972. The decision came after a civil trial that examined events from more than five decades ago.

Donna Motsinger brought the lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court. In her claim, she said that Cosby gave her wine along with a pill that caused her to lose consciousness during the evening.

The complaint also stated that Cosby had built a connection with Motsinger after meeting her at a restaurant in Sausalito, California. He later invited her to attend one of his shows in San Carlos, which led to the events that followed.

"Defendant Cosby used his enormous wealth, power, fame, and prestige, giving women like Ms Motsinger access to a world of celebrities and entertainers," the complaint added.

Motsinger alleged that Cosby offered her wine during the drive, which lasted about an hour, from the restaurant to the show. She said she began to feel unwell during that time.

According to the complaint, Cosby then gave her a pill, which she believed at the time to be aspirin. After taking it, her condition worsened.

The former comedian has been ordered to pay a large sum by the courts Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images

The lawsuit claimed that Motsinger drifted in and out of consciousness and later woke up at her home wearing only her underwear. The situation left her confused about what had happened.

According to the filing, she came to the conclusion the following morning that she had been sexually assaulted.

After three days of jury deliberations, the panel ruled in favor of Motsinger. They ordered Cosby to pay a total of $19,250,000 in damages.

Cosby has denied all allegations connected to the case and chose not to testify during the trial.

Following the verdict, Motsinger spoke outside the courtroom. According to The New York Times, she said: "It has been 54 years to get justice, and I know it's not complete for the rest of the women, but I hope it helps them a little bit."

At the same time, Cosby’s legal team made it clear that they do not accept the outcome and plan to challenge the decision.

Bill Cosby is planning to appeal the decision Mark Makela/Getty Images

"I was obviously disappointed in the decision, but we believe we have a strong appeal and we'll pursue that," she said, as reported by The New York Times.

Cosby has largely stayed out of public view in recent years, especially after his 2018 conviction for sexually assaulting Andrea Constand.

He had originally been sentenced to between three and ten years in prison for that case. However, the conviction was later overturned in 2021.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that an earlier agreement with prosecutors had not been honored. Because of this, Cosby was released after serving about three years.

In another separate case, Cosby was previously found liable for sexually assaulting Judy Huth at the Playboy Mansion in 1975, when she was 16 years old.

In that case, a jury awarded Huth $500,000 in compensatory damages in 2022, which came about a year after Cosby was released from prison.