Bill Cosby, once hailed as America’s Dad and a renowned comedian, finds himself entangled in yet another civil lawsuit alleging sexual battery. Donna Motsinger, a resident of New Mexico, has stepped forward with allegations of Cosby drugging and sexually assaulting her more than five decades ago during her employment as a waitress at a Bay Area restaurant.
In the 11-page legal complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Motsinger recounts her encounter with Cosby in 1972. According to her narrative, she crossed paths with Cosby at The Trident in Sausalito, a restaurant frequented by him. Subsequently, Cosby purportedly followed Motsinger to her residence in Mill Valley and extended an invitation to his stand-up performance at the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos, where he was recording the LP titled “Inside the Mind of Bill Cosby.”
The lawsuit asserts that Cosby chauffeured Motsinger in a limousine and offered her a glass of wine during the journey. Upon arriving at the theater, Motsinger allegedly began to feel unwell, and Cosby allegedly supplied her with what she believed to be an aspirin. Her recollection continues with her drifting in and out of consciousness while two men accompanying Cosby placed her inside the limousine with him. Motsinger later regained consciousness at her home, with all her clothing removed except her underwear.
This latest civil suit compounds the significant legal challenges that Bill Cosby has confronted in recent years. Spurred by a viral stand-up routine by comedian Hannibal Buress in 2014, numerous women have accused Cosby of rape, sexual battery, or misconduct. In 2018, he was convicted of the 2004 rape of Andrea Constand, a former Temple University athletics administrator. However, his conviction was subsequently overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in June 2021, leading to his release from prison.
Beyond the legal repercussions, Cosby has also endured professional consequences. He was expunged from the TV Academy Hall of Fame, stripped of prestigious accolades like the Kennedy Center Honor and Mark Twain Comedy Prize, and became the first individual in Yale University’s 300-year history to have an honorary degree rescinded.
In addition to Bill Cosby, the lawsuit names production company Jemmin Inc., the now-dissolved MCA Inc., and Circle Star Theater Corp. as defendants. Legal representatives for Donna Motsinger are pursuing unspecified damages, contending that these entities played a role in bolstering Cosby’s fame and, by extension, disregarded the safety of their female patrons by allegedly ignoring his purported sexual misconduct.
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