Bill Cosby loses sex assault lawsuit in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles Times • • entertainment
Key Points:
- A California civil jury found Bill Cosby liable for drugging and sexually assaulting former waitress Donna Motsinger in 1972, awarding her $19.25 million in damages.
- Motsinger alleged Cosby gave her wine and a pill that incapacitated her before assaulting her, and she woke up in her house wearing only underwear, according to court records.
- The lawsuit was filed in 2023 under new California laws allowing victims to sue for decades-old sexual abuse, part of broader legal changes influenced by the #MeToo movement.
- Cosby, 88, has denied all allegations but has faced multiple lawsuits and was previously convicted and imprisoned for sexual assault before his conviction was overturned in 2021.
- This verdict follows a 2022 ruling holding Cosby liable in a separate 1975 sexual assault case involving accuser Judy Huth, resulting in a $500,000 damages award.
