Bill Cosby has been ordered to pay more than $19 million after a court held him liable for the sexual assault and sexual battery of a woman in 1972.
Donna Motsinger brought the civil case in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging that Cosby gave her wine and a pill that caused her to lose consciousness.
In her complaint, Motsinger said she was targeted after meeting Cosby at a restaurant in Sausalito, California, and that he later invited her to one of his shows in San Carlos.
“Defendant Cosby used his enormous wealth, power, fame, and prestige, giving women like Ms Motsinger access to a world of celebrities and entertainers,” the complaint added.
She alleged that he provided the wine during the roughly hour-long trip between the restaurant and the venue. The filing says she soon started feeling ill, and that Cosby then gave her something she believed was aspirin.
The lawsuit further claimed Motsinger drifted in and out of consciousness before later waking at home wearing only her underwear.
According to the complaint, she concluded the next morning that she had been raped.
After three days of deliberations, a California jury found in Motsinger’s favor and awarded her $19.25 million.
Cosby did not testify at trial and has denied the allegations.
According to The New York Times, Motsinger said outside court following the verdict: “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.”
Cosby’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, said the ruling will be challenged on appeal.
“I was obviously disappointed in the decision, but we believe we have a strong appeal and we’ll pursue that,” she said, as per the New York Times.
Cosby has kept a low profile for much of the time since his 2018 conviction for sexually assaulting Andrea Constand.
He was sentenced to three to ten years in prison, though the conviction was overturned in 2021.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors violated an agreement, leading to Cosby’s release after roughly three years behind bars.
In another case, Cosby was previously found liable for sexually assaulting Judy Huth at the Playboy Mansion in 1975, when she was 16.
A jury awarded Huth $500,000 in compensatory damages in 2022, about a year after Cosby left prison.