Attorneys Brian Panish and Jesse Creed have filed a lawsuit against William “Bill” Cosby Jr. on behalf of plaintiff Donna Motsinger who alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted by the former comedian on the weekend of his 1972 stand-up performance, Inside the Mind of Bill Cosby. Filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the lawsuit seeks to hold Cosby and his production company accountable for the alleged heinous acts he committed against her, as well as MCA, Inc. and the Circle Star Theater for failing to ensure the safety of its guests at the hands of its performers. Plaintiff is also represented in the matter by co-counsel, Michael A. Bressler of The Bressler Firm LLC.
As alleged in the complaint, Ms. Motsinger met Cosby at The Trident, a restaurant in Sausalito, California where he was a frequent guest. She had served Cosby at his table earlier in the day, and was returning to her home when Cosby followed her, pulled up next to her, and asked if she would go with him to a show he was performing that evening at the nearby Circle Star Theater. Ms. Motsinger agreed and was later picked up from her home in a limousine by Cosby who served her a drink as the two drove to the theater for his 1972 stand-up performance Inside the Mind of Bill Cosby.
The complaint goes on to read “At the Circle Star Theater, Mr. Cosby took Ms. Motsinger to the dressing room there and gave her a glass of wine. She began to feel sick and Mr. Cosby gave her what she believed was an aspirin. Next thing she knew, she was going in and out of consciousness while two men attending to Mr. Cosby were putting her in the limousine with Mr. Cosby. In the limousine, Mr. Cosby sat near the window and put his arms around her. The last thing Ms. Motsinger recalls were flashes of light. She woke up in her house with all her clothes off, except her underwear on – no top, no bra, and no pants. She knew she had been drugged and raped by Bill Cosby.”
“We applaud Ms. Motsinger for her courage to come forward and demand justice against Mr. Cosby and those who enabled him to commit these alleged heinous acts against her,” said Ms. Motsinger’s attorney, Jesse Creed of Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP. “As alleged in the complaint, these iconic companies and organizations not only provided a platform for Mr. Cosby to showcase his fame and fortune to lure in women, but then put their own profits over the safety of their female guests by turning a blind eye to Mr. Cosby’s alleged sexual assaults on women.”
Ms. Motsinger seeks damages from defendants for lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. She has filed her claims pursuant to a California law that allows survivors of sexual assault to bring past claims by December 31, 2023.
A case management conference date has been set by the court for March 22, 2024.