Bill Cosby is facing another major legal blow after a California jury delivered a multimillion-dollar verdict tied to decades-old allegations.
A Santa Monica jury awarded Donna Motsinger $19.25 million after she accused Cosby of sexually abusing her in 1972 while she worked at a Sausalito restaurant. She told the court Cosby was a regular at the Trident restaurant and later invited her to a show in San Carlos. According to the lawsuit, a limousine picked her up, and during the ride, she was given wine.
She began to feel sick, and Mr. Cosby gave her what she believed was an aspirin,” the suit states.
So things quickly turned alarming, because Motsinger said she began drifting in and out of consciousness. The lawsuit says the next moments she remembers were flashes of light before waking up at home wearing only her underwear.
She knew she had been drugged and raped by Bill Cosby,” the suit states.
Cosby’s attorneys argued he does not recall any sexual contact and maintained that if anything happened, it was consensual. However, after three days of deliberation, jurors reached a decision. Motsinger spoke outside the court and reflected on the moment.
“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,” she said.
She added the financial award was “icing on the cake.”
