Bill Cosby Awarded $19M in Sexual Assault Lawsuit

In a landmark decision decades in the making, a jury has awarded $19 million to Donna Motsinger in her sexual assault lawsuit against Bill Cosby. Motsinger, who came forward with allegations that Cosby drugged and raped her in 1972, has finally seen her bravery recognized in court.

A Decades-Long Battle for Justice

The verdict, delivered on Monday, March 23, 2026, comes in the same courtroom where another accuser won a jury award against Cosby in 2022. Motsinger, now 84, was identified as Jane Doe Number 8 in the original 2005 lawsuit filed by Andrea Constand, a former Temple University athletics director.

The jury awarded Motsinger $17 million for past mental suffering and an additional $1.75 million for future suffering. Her attorney, Spencer Lucas, stated, “The jury saw the truth and recognized the bravery Donna showed in standing up for herself. The verdict brings vindication for our client, who has spent 54 years battling the trauma she endured from this evil predator.”

The Allegations and Cosby’s Defense

Motsinger testified that Cosby befriended her while she worked as a waitress in Sausalito, California. She recounted an incident where Cosby invited her to a recording of his stand-up act, gave her wine that made her feel ill, and then offered her pills he claimed were aspirin. Motsinger stated she lost consciousness and later woke up at home with her clothes disheveled, realizing she had been drugged and raped.

The jury also found that Cosby acted with “malice, oppression, or fraud,” which could pave the way for further punitive damages in a second phase of the trial. In a deposition, Cosby admitted to having a prescription for Quaaludes. However, the 88-year-old entertainer has consistently denied assaulting any of the numerous women who have accused him of misconduct, and his legal team has announced plans to appeal the recent verdict.

A Complex Legal History

This verdict adds another layer to Cosby’s tumultuous legal history. He was previously convicted in 2018 on three counts of aggravated indecent assault related to the drugging and sexual assault of Andrea Constand in 2004. Cosby served time in prison but was released in 2021 after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his conviction, citing a prior agreement that barred criminal charges.