Donna Motsinger won a $59 million judgment against Bill Cosby. Now, she’s asking the judge to hold him in contempt
Lack of cooperation.
Donna Motsinger is pushing for a judge to hold Bill Cosby in contempt of court because she says he has not paid any part of the $59.25 million civil judgment awarded to her. According to TMZ, this legal action follows a jury decision from March where Cosby was found liable for drugging and sexually assaulting Motsinger in 1972.
The incident reportedly occurred while Motsinger worked as a waitress at the Trident in Sausalito. Cosby was in the area at the time to record a stand-up performance at a nearby theater. The lawsuit moved forward after California changed its laws to allow for claims that previously fell outside the statute of limitations.
Motsinger claims in recent court documents that Cosby has failed to pay “a single penny” of the total amount. This total includes $19.25 million in compensatory damages and an additional $40 million in punitive damages.
Cosby has ignored formal demands for details about his financial records
Beyond the lack of payment, Motsinger asserts that Cosby has ignored formal demands to provide details about his current financial situation. She says he has refused to disclose information regarding his bank accounts, his income, or his other assets. This lack of cooperation has persisted since the original verdict was delivered by the jury.
The situation escalated on October 9, 2026, when a judge ordered Cosby to turn over his financial records. The judge also required him to pay $1,560 in sanctions. According to Motsinger, Cosby did not meet the deadline for these requirements. The judge had provided a 10-day window for the comedian to comply with these orders. Because he allegedly did not follow these instructions, Motsinger is now requesting that the court take more serious action against him.
Motsinger’s filing asks the judge to bring Cosby into court to explain his refusal to follow the previous orders. Furthermore, she is asking for a warrant to be issued for his arrest if he fails to appear at the scheduled time. Motsinger is also seeking specific penalties for the alleged violations. She wants the court to impose a fine of $1,000 for each violation. She also wants Cosby to serve five days in jail for each of these instances.
On top of these requests, she is asking for $3,284 to cover her legal fees and costs. If the court finds Cosby in contempt and he still refuses to pay or share his financial details, Motsinger wants him to remain in jail until he finally complies.
Cosby previously attempted to challenge the outcome of the trial
Complex reports that in May, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Bradley S. Phillips denied his request for a new trial. The judge ruled that Cosby had not shown “any irregularity” that would have prevented the trial from being fair. Cosby has denied the accusations throughout the legal process. His legal team previously described Motsinger’s claims as “speculative” and argued that she lacked a clear memory of the events from 1972.
The history of this case is long and complex. Cosby served three years in prison after a 2018 sexual assault conviction in Pennsylvania. However, the state Supreme Court overturned that conviction in 2021 due to errors made by the prosecution. This new civil judgment represents a different legal path for the accuser. The current dispute over the payment of the judgment highlights the friction between the two sides as they remain locked in litigation.
The legal process is moving forward with a hearing on the contempt request scheduled for January 2027. Cosby has also appealed the rulings from the trial to a higher court, and that appeal is still pending. The court will now have to weigh these arguments before deciding how to proceed with the contempt request.
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