Bill Cosby Sued Again: Woman Claims 1972 Drugging and Assault
Bill Cosby speaks to reporters outside his home on June 30, 2021, in Cheltenham, Pa. Bill Cosby was released from prison after court overturns his sex assault conviction.Michael Abbott—Getty Images
A new civil trial is examining claims that Bill Cosby sexually assaulted a woman more than 50 years ago. The lawsuit, filed by 84-year-old Donna Motsinger, alleges that Cosby, 88, gave her wine and a pill after a 1972 comedy show near San Francisco, then assaulted her. Motsinger says she believed she was taking aspirin but now thinks Cosby administered a drug that rendered her unconscious. Her attorney states that she later woke up at home wearing only underwear. Cosby denies the allegations, insisting that any sexual encounters with his accusers were consensual.
The case is being heard in Los Angeles Superior Court and is part of a wave of older sexual assault claims allowed under California’s “look-back” law. This is the second civil lawsuit Cosby faces since his 2018 sexual assault conviction was overturned in 2021 due to a previous non-prosecution agreement. In a separate civil case, a Los Angeles jury previously awarded an accuser $500,000 in damages. For the current trial, a judge has permitted testimony from five women regarding alleged similar behavior to suggest a potential pattern.
Andrea Constand, whose criminal case led to Cosby’s 2018 conviction, is scheduled to testify during the roughly two-week trial. Cosby attempted to block her testimony but was unsuccessful. He will not attend the trial, stating in a filing that he “does not care to appear.” In a deposition last November, Cosby said the allegations have significantly reduced his net worth, comparing it to “a submarine with no motor,” and noted that he has not worked in over a decade. He also admitted to desiring a sexual encounter with Motsinger but could not recall whether it actually occurred.
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