California Jury Orders Bill Cosby to Pay $59 Million to Woman He Sexually Assaulted More Than 50 Years Ago

In March 2026, a California jury ordered Bill Cosby to pay $59.25 million to a woman who says he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1972 — more than 50 years after the night her life changed.

The verdict came after a civil trial in Santa Monica. The jury awarded Donna Motsinger $19.25 million for the pain, trauma, and suffering she endured, and added $40 million more to send a clear message about what Cosby did. Cosby's attorneys say they plan to appeal.

Who Is Donna Motsinger?

Donna Motsinger was a restaurant server in Sausalito, California, in 1972. She testified that Cosby invited her to one of his comedy performances and, afterward, gave her a glass of wine during a limousine ride. She said she began losing consciousness shortly after drinking it. She says what happened next was not her choice.

Motsinger filed her case in 2024, about two and a half years before the jury delivered its verdict.

Why Didn't This Happen Years Ago?

Many people have asked why a case from 1972 is being decided in a courtroom in 2026. The answer comes down to time limits — rules that used to say survivors had only a short window to come forward.

For decades, those deadlines ran out long before many survivors felt safe or ready to speak. California changed that. Under a law passed in 2019 — and updated since — the state opened new legal pathways for survivors to bring civil cases that would previously have been blocked, including a current two-year lookback window that runs through December 31, 2027. For abuse that happened on or after January 1, 2024, California has eliminated the deadline to file entirely.

Didn't Cosby Go to Prison Already?

Yes — and then he didn't.

In 2018, Cosby was convicted in Pennsylvania on criminal charges related to a different woman's account and was sentenced to prison. But in June 2021, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned that conviction. The court found that prosecutors had violated his rights during the case. He was released.

That ruling was about the criminal case only. It did not erase what survivors experienced. And it did not close the door to civil court.

Civil Court Is Different From Criminal Court

This is one of the most important things to understand: a criminal case and a civil case are two completely different things.

A criminal case is brought by the government. To convict someone, prosecutors must prove guilt "beyond a reasonable doubt" — a very high bar. That standard exists to protect people from wrongful imprisonment.

A civil case is brought by the survivor. The standard is lower — a jury only has to find it more likely than not that the abuse occurred. More than 50 percent. That difference matters, especially for survivors whose cases were never prosecuted, or who came forward years later when physical evidence was gone.

Donna Motsinger did not need a criminal conviction to win her case. She needed a jury to believe her — and they did.

What This Verdict Means for Survivors

Verdicts like this one matter beyond the courtroom. They show that a jury of ordinary people can hear a survivor's account, weigh the evidence, and hold an abuser accountable — even after decades have passed.

They also remind survivors that civil court can be a path forward even when the criminal justice system fell short, never got involved, or closed its doors long ago. The person who hurt you does not have to have been convicted of a crime for you to have options.

Coming forward is one of the hardest things a person can do. The fear of not being believed, the weight of old memories, the uncertainty about whether anything will happen — those are real. Donna Motsinger waited more than 50 years, and a jury still heard her.