- Bill Cosby Found Liable For $59M In Sexual Assault Case

A civil jury in California has found that Bill Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted former waitress Donna Motsinger in 1972. The jury awarded Motsinger a total of $59.25 million in damages, a judgment that was issued despite Cosby's ongoing financial difficulties. The decision, reached after three days of deliberations, further damages the reputation of the 88-year-old entertainer, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by dozens of women. Cosby’s only criminal conviction for sexual assault was overturned in 2021 on procedural grounds after he served three years in prison. In her testimony, Motsinger said that Cosby befriended her while she worked at The Trident in Sausalito, California, and invited her to a standup recording nearby. Motsinger claimed that Cosby then gave her wine and a pill, leaving her incapacitated before sexually assaulting her. Following the verdict, his lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, said, “I was obviously disappointed in the decision, but we believe we have a strong appeal and we’ll pursue that.”