Bill Cosby's attempt to overturn a nearly $60 million civil verdict has failed. A Los Angeles County judge has denied the disgraced comedian's request for a new trial, leaving intact a jury's decision that found him liable for sexually assaulting former waitress Donna Motsinger and ordered him to pay $59.25 million in damages.
In a ruling issued Friday, May 29, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Bradley S. Phillips rejected arguments from Cosby's legal team that the trial was unfair or that the damages award was excessive. Per The Los Angeles Times, which obtained a copy of the verdict, Phillips wrote that Cosby failed to establish "any irregularity" in the proceedings that would have prevented him from receiving a fair trial. The judge also found there was "sufficient evidence" to support the jury's conclusion that Cosby's conduct caused Motsinger's damages.
The ruling preserves a March verdict that awarded Motsinger $17.5 million for past non-economic damages, $1.75 million for future non-economic damages, and an additional $40 million in punitive damages. Jurors found that Cosby acted with "malice, oppression, or fraud," opening the door for the substantial punitive award.
Motsinger, now 84, filed her lawsuit in 2023 under California legislation that temporarily revived certain expired sexual assault claims. According to court filings, she alleged that Cosby cultivated a relationship with her while she worked as a server at the celebrity-frequented Trident restaurant in Sausalito, CA, and then invited her to attend one of his comedy performances in 1972.
The complaint alleges Cosby picked her up in a limousine, gave her wine, and later provided her with what she believed was aspirin after she began feeling ill.
The lawsuit states that Motsinger was soon "going in and out of consciousness" while being placed back into the limousine by members of Cosby's entourage.
"The last thing Ms. Motsinger recalls were flashes of light," the complaint says, before she later woke up at home wearing only her underwear.
At trial, jurors heard testimony about the alleged assault and the lasting emotional impact Motsinger said she carried for decades. They also heard evidence regarding other allegations against Cosby as part of the civil proceedings. After two days of deliberations, the jury sided with Motsinger and awarded nearly $60 million in damages.
Following the verdict, Motsinger described the decision as long-overdue accountability. "This verdict is not just about me — it's about finally being heard and holding Mr. Cosby accountable," she said in a statement released by her attorneys. "I have carried the weight of what happened to me for more than 50 years. It never goes away. Today, a jury saw the truth and held him accountable."
Her attorney, Jesse Creed, said the outcome sent a broader message. "This verdict makes clear that fame and influence cannot be used as a shield for abuse," he said. Co-counsel Spencer Lucas added that the case demonstrated "the importance of laws that give survivors a path to justice, no matter how much time has passed."
Cosby, 88, has denied Motsinger's allegations and has similarly denied accusations made by dozens of other women over the years. He served nearly three years in prison after a 2018 sexual assault conviction in Pennsylvania before that conviction was overturned by the state's Supreme Court in 2021 on procedural grounds.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, confidential help is available through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or through the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) at rainn.org.
