A Jury Told Bill Cosby to Pay $59 Million and He Has Paid None of It

Caption: Bill Cosby in a 1965 publicity photo. Credit: NBC Television, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

A California judge has ordered Bill Cosby into court in September to answer questions about his money. The hearing was originally set for January. It was moved up after the woman who won a $59.25 million verdict against him told the court she has not seen a dollar of it.

What the Jury Decided in March

On March 24, 2026, a civil jury in Santa Monica found Cosby liable for drugging and sexually assaulting Donna Motsinger, a former restaurant server, in 1972. The jury awarded $19.25 million in compensatory damages, split between $17.5 million for past harm and $1.75 million for future harm, then added $40 million in punitive damages.

The total is $59.25 million. Cosby’s attorney Jennifer Bonjean said they were disappointed and fully intend to appeal the verdict. That appeal is pending.

The 48 Hours After the Townhouse Sold

Motsinger’s lawyers told the court that bank records show what happened after a New York townhouse sale deposited proceeds into a Cosby account in November. Within 48 hours, they say, $1.29 million moved out to other accounts, including accounts belonging to friends.

Their filing states that Cosby has paid none of the judgment while showing a clear record of liquidating assets and then immediately dissipating the proceeds. Cosby’s lawyers did not respond to a request for comment.

The Hearing That Opens the Books

What the judge ordered is a judgment debtor examination. It is the mechanism a creditor uses to force a defendant to account for what he owns and where it went, under oath.

Cosby, 89, says he is in financial difficulty. An expert witness who testified in the case estimated his net worth at about $128 million.

What September Decides

The hearing before Judge Bradley S. Phillips in Los Angeles Superior Court will not revisit what the jury found. It asks a narrower question, which is whether there is money to collect and whether it has been moved out of reach.

Motsinger won her case in March. Six months later the practical question is whether a $59.25 million verdict is worth anything at all.

References: Hearing to review Bill Cosby’s assets as he faces $59 million judgment | Jury holds Bill Cosby liable for sexual assault in 1972, awards $60 million