• A California jury awarded Donna Motsinger $19.25 million after finding Bill Cosby liable for assault.
• The charges stem from an incident in 1972 when Motsinger was drugged and sexually assaulted.
• Cosby's legal team intends to appeal the jury's verdict.

A California jury has ordered veteran comedian Bill Cosby to pay more than $19 million in damages to Donna Motsinger, who alleges he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1972. During a civil trial in Santa Monica, the jury determined Cosby was liable for both sexual assault and battery, awarding Motsinger $19.25 million in damages, including $17.5 million for past suffering and $1.75 million for future distress, according to latimes and scmp.

Motsinger, now 84, reported that Cosby invited her to a comedy performance after they met at a restaurant where she worked as a waitress. She claimed Cosby gave her a drink laced with a pill, causing her to slip in and out of consciousness, and she recalled waking up at home partially undressed. Her lawsuit detailed that “she knew she had been drugged and raped by Bill Cosby,” according to indiatimes and cbsnews.

Cosby's attorneys have expressed disappointment over the verdict and signaled intentions to appeal, claiming that Motsinger's allegations lack credibility. They indicated that Cosby did not remember any sexual contact with her and stated that any interaction was consensual. This ruling follows a historical context wherein Cosby was convicted in a Pennsylvania criminal case, although that conviction was overturned in 2021 due to prosecutorial misconduct, as outlined in bbc and cbsnews.

The jury's decision arrives nearly a decade after a wave of sexual assault accusations against Cosby emerged during the #MeToo movement, impacting both his career and public persona. This particular case reflects ongoing legal challenges faced by the comedian amid numerous allegations from several women dating back decades, according to latimes, scmp, and bbc.