Bill Cosby has to pay a fortune. Nearly $60 million in compensation for the 1972 rape

An American court found 88-year-old actor Bill Cosby responsible for the sexual assault of waitress Donna Motsinger in 1972. Cosby is to pay the victim $59.25 million in compensation. The verdict was handed down by a jury in a Santa Monica, California, court on Monday after a two-week trial.

Motsinger accused the actor of drugging her and raping her. The case concerned the events of 1972.

Motsinger, who was working as a waitress at the time, was invited by Cosby to his comedy show. The comedian was a frequent guest of the restaurant where she worked. As Motsinger reported, on the way there, she was offered a glass of wine in the limousine. As she then entered Cosby's dressing room, she began to feel dizzy. She lost consciousness and later woke up in her own home in only her underwear.

“This verdict is not just about me – it is about finally being heard and holding Mr. Cosby accountable. I have been carrying the burden of what happened to me for over 50 years. It never goes away. Today, a jury saw the truth and held him accountable. I hope it will give strength to other victims who are still waiting for their chance to be heard,” said the plaintiff, quoted by Variety.

The amount of compensation consists of:

• $19.25 million in compensation for mental and psychological harm;
• 40 million punitive damages.

Cosby's lawyers are disappointed with the verdict. Attorney Jennifer Bonjean already announces she will appeal. The comedian denies itthat he had something to do with drugging and raping Motsinger, and in the eyes of his lawyers the whole case is speculative because the plaintiff does not remember what exactly happened.

Cosby, 88, was previously sentenced to half a million dollars in restitution for Judy Hoth, whom he allegedly attacked at the Playboy mansion in 1975 when she was 16 years old. In 2018, as a result of a conviction in a molestation case, he was sent to prison, from which he was released after three years, after the verdict was rejected by the appeals court. (PAP)

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