Who Is Bill Cosby? Once ‘America’s Dad’ Now Ordered To Pay $19.3 Million In Decades-Old Sexual Assault Case

Bill Cosby, once regarded as “America’s Father,” has resumed making news when the United States court has imposed an award of more than $19 million to a plaintiff for his act of sexual violence in civil litigation that took place more than 50 years ago.

Who Is Bill Cosby? From TV Icon to Controversial Figure

Throughout the late 20th century, Cosby was one of the most popular personalities in the United States as an actor and producer of the television show “The Cosby Show” (1984 to 1992) and developed an image as a comedian and television star suitable for a family audience; however, his reputation was eroded over the last decade by allegations of sexual harassment from more than thirty women.

The lawsuit revolves around the allegations of Donna Motsinger, who accused Cosby of drugging and assaulting her after he met her while she was waiting tables in 1972. The facts submitted in court state that Cosby met Motsinger at the restaurant, picked her up in his limousine, gave her a glass of wine, and also a pill she thought was an aspirin.

Court Hears Claims of Drugging and Assault

Motsinger testified that after she ingested both the beverage and the pill she became unconscious and later woke up at home with no clothing except for her underwear. The lawsuit states that, “She knew she had been drugged and raped by Bill Cosby.”

Cosby’s defence team claimed that Cosby does not remember having sexual contact with Motsinger, and that any such sexual contact, if it occurred, was consensual.

Jury Awards Damages After Three Days of Deliberation

After considering the evidence presented in California, the jury returned a verdict after three days of deliberation, ordering Cosby, now at 88, to pay $19.3 Million in damages to Motsinger. However, this amount could increase due to the potential for additional punitive damages.

This is not the initial time Cosby has been subject to legal liability. In 2018, he was convicted in a separate instance of sexual assault and imprisoned for almost 3 years. A different appellate court overturned the conviction on a legal procedural error in 2021.

Previous Conviction and 2022 Case Add to Legal Troubles

The latest verdict is part of a larger ongoing pattern of sexual abuse allegations made against Cosby going back to decades. There have been numerous women that have accused him of drugging and assaulting them, also in many cases involving alcohol or another type of drug.

This case occurred in the same court where in 2022 another jury ordered Cosby to pay $500,000 for sexually assaulting a woman when she was a minor in 1975.

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