Bill Cosby Ordered to Pay $19.25 Million in Damages for 1972 Sexual Assault

A civil jury in Santa Monica, California, found Bill Cosby liable for the sexual assault and sexual battery of Donna Motsinger and ordered him to pay 19.25 (million dollars) — total damages awarded to Donna Motsinger in damages, according to multiple reports citing the New York Times. The verdict was reached on Monday, March 23, 2026, after a trial of nearly two weeks. Cosby, 88, did not appear in person at the proceedings but denied the allegations through his lawyers and in a sworn statement. Motsinger, now 84, alleged that Cosby drugged and sexually abused her in 1972 when she worked as a waitress at the Trident restaurant in Sausalito, California. The jury awarded her $17.5 million for past damages and $1.75 million for future damages, covering what court documents described as mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, inconvenience, grief, anxiety, humiliation, and emotional distress.

Drugged in a limousine, she woke up without her clothes According to the lawsuit, Cosby invited Motsinger to a stand-up show he was performing at the Circle Star theater after encountering her near the Trident restaurant. During the journey, she said Cosby gave her wine and two pills she believed were aspirin, after which she lost and regained consciousness while two men placed her into a limousine. She testified that she woke up at home wearing only her underwear, with no blouse, bra, or pants. The complaint states that she knew at that point that Cosby had drugged and raped her. Cosby's legal team argued in court documents that the accusations rested almost entirely on speculation and that Motsinger had openly admitted she had no clear memory of what happened. Cosby did not testify at the trial, though witnesses included Andrea Constand, the Temple University sports administrator whose complaint led to Cosby's criminal conviction in 2018. After the verdict was announced, Motsinger said it had taken 54 years to experience justice and expressed hope that the outcome would help other women.

„It has taken 54 years for justice to be done, and I know that for the rest of the women this is not enough, but I hope that it will be of some use to them.” — Donna Motsinger via New York Times

California law change made the lawsuit possible decades later The case was made possible by a California law that eliminated the statute of limitations for sexual abuse claims, allowing Motsinger to bring the case more than five decades after the alleged incident. The same Santa Monica court had in 2022 ordered Cosby to pay $500,000 to Judy Huth after a jury found he had sexually assaulted her in 1975 when she was 16 years old. Cosby was also convicted in a criminal trial in Pennsylvania in 2018 for drugging and sexually assaulting Constand, and was sentenced to three to ten years in prison. He was released in 2021 after serving nearly three years when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the conviction due to a procedural error. Motsinger had first presented her allegations anonymously in a lawsuit filed by Constand in 2005. Cosby's lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, said in an email that the legal team was disappointed with the verdict and would appeal.

Bill Cosby rose to prominence in American entertainment as a stand-up comedian and television actor, with his longest-running live-action role coming in The Cosby Show, a sitcom that aired from 1984 to 1992 and earned him the informal title of "America's Dad." Over the course of the #MeToo movement, at least 60 women accused Cosby of rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment, allegations he has consistently denied. His 2018 criminal conviction in Pennsylvania was the first major celebrity conviction of the #MeToo era before being overturned on procedural grounds in 2021. The 2022 civil verdict in favor of Judy Huth marked the first time a jury had found him civilly liable for sexual abuse following his release from prison.

Cosby calls himself a MeToo victim as appeal looms Cosby has for years characterized himself as a victim of the #MeToo movement, arguing that a cascade of lawsuits and media coverage has prevented him from working for approximately ten years. His legal team's announcement of an appeal means the $19.25 million judgment will face further court scrutiny before any payment is enforced. The verdict adds to a pattern of civil liability findings against Cosby in California courts since his release from prison. Cosby's registry description identifies him as a former comedian, actor, and media personality, reflecting the collapse of a career that once made him one of the most recognized figures in American popular culture. The outcome of the appeal will determine whether Motsinger ultimately receives the damages the jury awarded her after more than five decades.

Bill Cosby civil verdicts in California: Plaintiff (before: Judy Huth (2022), after: Donna Motsinger (2026)); Year of alleged assault (before: 1975, after: 1972); Damages awarded (before: $500,000, after: $19.25 million)