Donna Motsinger, a woman who filed a lawsuit against Bill Cosby for sexual abuse, has been awarded $19.2 million. A Southern California civil jury made the ruling on Monday, but the court has not yet awarded punitive damages, NBC News reported.
What did Donna Motsinger say in her lawsuit against Bill Cosby?
In her 2023 lawsuit, Motsinger said she first met the disgraced actor at a restaurant in Sausalito, California, in 1972 while she was working as a server, Rolling Stone reported. According to the lawsuit, Cosby followed Motsinger to her house and asked her to attend his stand-up show in San Francisco.
Cosby then gave Motsinger a ride in his limo to the Circle Star Theater and offered her a glass of wine, the lawsuit states. Motsinger said she felt sick after taking the drink, but Cosby gave her what appeared to be an aspirin.
“Next thing she knew, she was going in and out of consciousness while two men attending to Mr. Cosby were putting her in the limousine with Mr. Cosby,” the suit states.
Motsinger, who is now 84 years old, then woke up at her home in only her underwear, per the lawsuit.
“She knew she had been drugged and raped by Bill Cosby,” the complaint states.
Cosby, however, continues to deny the allegations. A former representative for the actor told NBC News that he is “deeply saddened” by Monday’s verdict. The representative said the verdict allows “decade-old allegations, presented without evidence or proof, to stand.”
What did the jury conclude in Donna Motsinger’s lawsuit against Bill Cosby?
As the jury made its ruling in Santa Monica, California, on Monday, Cosby was found liable for sexual battery and sexual assault of an intoxicated person. Motsinger was awarded $17.5 million for past mental suffering, as well as $1.75 million for future suffering.
The court also concluded that Cosby acted with “malice, oppression, or fraud.” Motsinger is still waiting for the second phase of the trial to hear the court’s decision on punitive damages.