Bill Cosby Ordered to Pay $60 Million For 1972 Sexual Assault

Summary

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Podcast Summary:

Podcast: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present
Episode: Bill Cosby Ordered to Pay $60 Million For 1972 Sexual Assault
Date: March 24, 2026
Hosts: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes
Publisher: iHeartPodcasts

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Overview

This episode is dedicated to the recent verdict in California where a jury found Bill Cosby liable in a civil case for a sexual assault that occurred in 1972, ordering him to pay nearly $60 million in damages. Amy and T.J. break down the case details, discuss the broader implications for Cosby and other high-profile abuse cases, and analyze the ongoing legal fallout surrounding Cosby decades after the alleged crimes.

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Key Discussion Points

The Verdict and Case Background

• Historic Decision:
  On March 24, 2026, a California jury awarded $59.25 million to a woman for pain, suffering, and punitive damages due to an assault by Bill Cosby dating back to 1972.
  (T.J. Holmes, 02:56)

• Case Specifics:
  The accuser, who was a waitress in Sausalito, CA, testified to being drugged and subsequently assaulted by Cosby after being invited to one of his shows. Three other women also testified to similar experiences with Cosby.
  (Amy Robach, 03:33, 06:17)

• Cosby’s Defense:
  Cosby did not testify in court but denied all accusations, maintaining that any relations and even drugging were consensual. In depositions, he admitted to extramarital affairs and giving women quaaludes but insisted there was consent.
  (Amy Robach, 04:09)

Legal Context and Civil vs. Criminal Proceedings

• Timeline of Accusations:
  The accuser’s quest for justice spanned decades—she first went on record as early as 2005. Changes in California law regarding statutes of limitations enabled this civil lawsuit to go forward.
  (T.J. Holmes, 07:38)

• Cosby's Criminal Case Overturned:
  Cosby was previously convicted in a criminal case and served three years in prison before the Supreme Court overturned the conviction due to an agreement with a previous prosecutor.
  (T.J. Holmes & Amy Robach, 04:52–05:17)

• Why Civil, Not Criminal?
  Lower evidentiary standards in civil court allowed this case to succeed where criminal prosecutions have not, especially considering the difficulties posed by memory lapses due to being drugged. (Amy Robach, 08:29)

Damages and Financial Consequences

• Damages Breakdown:
  Of the $59.25 million, approximately $40 million were punitive damages, meant to punish Cosby and send a broader message; $19.25 million was for pain and suffering.
  (T.J. Holmes, 09:55; Amy Robach, 10:36)

• Cosby’s Net Worth and Payout Concerns:
  Debate over whether Cosby, who is now 88, can pay. Defense claims he lacks the funds, citing foreclosed properties and the sale of his Manhattan apartment, while the accuser’s legal team asserts Cosby is still worth $128 million.
  (Amy Robach, 09:55, 15:40)

• Symbolic vs. Practical Justice:
  The hosts discuss the practical challenges of collecting such large judgments, referencing other high-profile cases like O.J. Simpson’s.
  (Amy Robach, 15:40)

Social and Cultural Impact

• Cosby’s Fall from Grace:
  Discuss the stark contrast between Cosby as "America’s Dad" and the revelations of systemic abuse. They compare the Cosby case to ongoing lawsuits against other public figures and reflect on the importance of believing survivors.
  (T.J. Holmes, 10:36; Amy Robach, 17:20)

• Changing Legal Landscape:
  The verdict signals a shift—due to changes in statute of limitations laws, more cases may move forward. There are already a dozen other lawsuits pending against Cosby in various states.
  (Amy Robach, 17:20)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the Lengthy Quest for Justice:
  “It’s been 54 years to get justice. ... I know it’s not complete for the rest of the women, but I hope it helps them a little bit.”
  — Amy Robach paraphrasing the accuser's statement after the verdict (07:09)

• On Jury’s Reasoning for Punitive Damages:
  “A blind 88 year old man can't leave his house. That was in part her response to the judgment against him.”
  — Amy Robach, quoting Cosby’s lawyer’s reaction to the verdict (10:36)

• On Shifting Perceptions:
  “The Cosby show was everything. ... It was such a crushing blow to hear all of these women’s accounts.”
  — Amy Robach (17:20)

• On Symbolic Justice:
  “A lot of these judgments sound like big deals and they are, but a lot of times they end up ... being symbolic rather than actually financially lucrative.”
  — Amy Robach (15:40)

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Notable Timestamps

• 02:56 — T.J. Holmes introduces the breaking news of the verdict
• 03:33 — Amy Robach summarizes the details of the case and verdict
• 04:09 — Testimonies and Cosby’s deposition/defense
• 05:17 — Explains why Cosby’s criminal conviction was overturned
• 06:17 — Recounts the accuser’s story of the alleged assault
• 07:09 — Accuser's statement about the emotional impact of the verdict
• 08:29 — Civil court standards and impact of being drugged on memory
• 09:55 — Breakdown of damages and punitive component
• 10:36 — Cosby’s lawyer’s argument about age, capability, and punishment
• 15:40 — Discussion of Cosby’s financial state, collecting judgments, and comparison to other cases
• 17:20 — Broader legal context, more lawsuits pending, and cultural significance

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Conclusion

This episode provides a comprehensive overview of the ongoing legal and cultural reckoning with Bill Cosby’s legacy, focusing on the significance of a major civil verdict decades after the reported assault. Amy and T.J. reflect on the evolving legal standards, the difficulties faced by survivors seeking justice so many years later, and how Cosby’s story has come to symbolize a broader shift in how society and the legal system handle sexual abuse by the powerful. The hosts maintain a thoughtful, conversational tone throughout, emphasizing both the practicalities and the symbolic weight of the verdict.

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Transcript

[Amy Robach]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[T.J. Holmes]

Hey there folks. It is Tuesday, March 24, and a California jury has found Bill Cosby liable for a sexual assault that happened before Amy Robach and I were even born. And with that welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ 50 years ago we're talking about. And a jury just said, Mr. Cosby, you need to pay a huge amount to this woman for something that happened in 1972. Do I have that right?

[Amy Robach]

Yes, 1972. It happened on one occasion and a jury took more than two days to deliberate. But they have awarded this woman $59.25 million for her pain and suffering and for punitive damages in this case. It was the largest verdict so far.

[T.J. Holmes]

So far we say, and to be quite honest with you, it's hard to keep up. Every time I see a Harvey Weinstein update about a trial day, I'm like, wow, he's still dealing with legal stuff. I'd be honest with you. I didn't realize Bill Cosby is still dealing with lawsuits that are flying all over the place.

[Amy Robach]

He certainly is. And this was a doozy of a lawsuit. And look, she testified, took the stand, described what happened to her. She said on that day in 1972, three other women testified of having similar encounters with Bill Cosby. He did not take the stand. And it's interesting to hear what he said in deposition. It wasn't, he's denied, by the way, ever assaulting a woman. He says that any sex he had and even any quaaludes he gave women, which he's admitted to doing, have all been consensual, that they agreed to take them. So he's admitted to having extramarital affairs and being a womanizer and even drugging women. But he said it was all consensual.

[T.J. Holmes]

And again, Bill Cosby at this point has been out of prison for several years. He had a 10 year prison with three to 10 years is what it was supposed to be. He served three because a. Well, Supreme Court threw out the criminal conviction. So everything that's going on with Bill Cosby, all the accusations and things, one conviction, and that one was thrown out. So from a criminal standpoint, he's dealt with that part of these cases.

[Amy Robach]

Correct. And it was thrown out because a previous prosecutor had agreed to not prosecute. And so when they went ahead with a different prosecutor and Pursued charges and he was found guilty. Ultimately, the Supreme Court said he should never have been charged in the first place based on an agreement that had been in place in that state.

[T.J. Holmes]

So he's out of prison, been out of prison for several years. And a reminder, this is an 88 year old blind man at this point and he is still facing a number of lawsuits. This, this one now has reached its conclusion and $60 million, a lot of people are going to be paying attention to this. But this one had to do with a case in 19, a woman who was working in of all place, places we love, actually Sausalito, California, out that the beautiful Bay area said she'd been invited to a show by Bill Cosby. Again, 1972, he had a comedy show. She says, yes, she was offered drugs by Bill Cosby, took them and again, typical story that we've heard before and was sexually assaulted.

[Amy Robach]

Yes, she said she thought it was aspirin. She said she had a headache. She said he gave her wine, he picked her up in a limousine. She was a waitress at a restaurant there in Sausalito. So he, she caught his ey. He invited her to a show. She was excited. But she said when he gave her that pill that she thought was an aspirin, she said she became incapacitated. And she testified about how she ultimately was in and out of consciousness. She remembers being backstage and she ended up waking up in her own home naked and realized that she had been sexually assaulted.

[T.J. Holmes]

And I guess Volksman, bro, this should be addressed. Here we are, it is 2026 and we're talking about a sexual assault in 1972. This is happening now. But this, this woman has been actually trying to hold him accountable for 20 years almost. This is not the first time this has come up just now.

[Amy Robach]

Correct. And so, yes, her reaction after the verdict, she mentions that she says it's been 54 years to get justice. She says, I know it's not complete for the rest of the women, but I hope it helps them a little bit. And I thought this was interesting. Interesting. She said, I know this wasn't a criminal trial. I know that I didn't get a guilty verdict. But she said it was important that she was believed and that Bill Cosby in some way was held accountable for what he did to her. And that makes sense.

[T.J. Holmes]

And yeah, this goes mentioning that this has gone through the process. She didn't just bring this up here all these years later. She had actually been on the record as early as 2005 with accusations she had made and tried to go through the criminal process. And again, they changed even the law out there in California to allow for victims of sexual assault to have more time when it comes to a statute of limitations in the criminal or even civil cases we've seen in some places. But she was able to do this now. And why this is coming up, I find it pretty remarkable. I find it incredible. And some on the other side would even say this doesn't make sense. How can you hold him accountable for something that happened that long ago? Who remembers when and what? That's part of his argument. And even his attorneys argue you hold him liable for something that the woman even says herself. She doesn't exactly know what happened.

[Amy Robach]

Right. Because she was drugged. She says she doesn't know. She just, you know, a woman knows when. When she's had sex or at least when someone has penetrated her. That's pretty obvious and coming in and out of consciousness, I think when you have, when you take her account and the jury heard from three other women who had almost identical accounts, that that became a strong enough case from a civil lawsuit standpoint where the threshold is lower than it is in a criminal court. And it did take them a couple days to come up with the verdict, but certainly it was a large sum of money. And speaking to not remembering things, it's interesting because, yes, Cosby didn't testify, but in his deposition, he said that he remembers being in a limo with Matzinger and he remembers wanting to have sex with her, but he doesn't remember whether or not they did. And of course, he denied completely doing anything to her, non consensually. So that is interesting. But his lawyers, not shockingly, say they do plan on appealing. And they're also considering just simply challenging the size of the award because they say he can't afford it. They said this is not a man who has worked in 10 years. He doesn't have the funds, although they had the prosecution or. Sorry, it's not prosecution. But the Motzinger attorneys said that they believe that Bill Cosby is still worth $128 million. So he can afford this nearly $60 million lawsuit against him.

[T.J. Holmes]

And it was broken down. Some of this was different types of damages, but the chunk of it, 40 million or so, was to punish him, literally punitive damages for what had taken place. The rest kind of reimbursement for damages for mental and all that stuff. But yeah, they actually, the huge chunk of this was a message they were sending about punishing Bill Cosby. Bill Cosby still it's been a while and it's been years. This is a reminder. But robes you he's come down from that pedestal but man, still you reminding of this story and just how big his star was and how influential of, of an entertainer he was in this country.

[Amy Robach]

Oh, the Cosby show was everything. And that look, we see these stories oftentimes where you've got these men in powerful positions who are beloved, who are put up on a pedest soul who have been accused of abusing that power. But yes, to your point the jury. Well, I say only. But when you look at almost $60 million, only 19.25 million of that was for her pain and suffering. It was the $40 million that Whopper of a judgment that was for punitive. You're right. That was to say hey, we believe this woman and you should be punished. Even though you're not behind bars, you should be punished for. For what we now believe you did. Now this is interesting because his attorney, you, you mentioned he's blind. That is almost exactly what his attorney said. This isn't about providing deterrence. A blind 88 year old man can't leave his house. That was in part her response to the judgment against him.

[T.J. Holmes]

I mean punitive is punitive. It doesn't matter what age he is. And I mean right. Nobody's saying he's a threat to the community necessarily. But still this is what justice, this is what justice can look like at this point. So if that will ever happen, who knows. We know what his imprint has been. We know this guy has made a lot of money over a lot of years, a lot of decades in his career. But 60 million hadn't worked for a decade. Does he have that sitting around? Stay here. We'll explain what they say is financial situation looks like now.

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[T.J. Holmes]

All right. Continuing here on this Tuesday morning here On Amy and TJ, Bill Cosby getting a $60 million civil judgment against him. He said he's going to appeal it. Rose. We don't know if he'll ever be if anybody will ever see that money. But quite frankly, his team is saying, you're not going to see it no matter what because we ain't got it.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah, they're saying, I mean, he had to sell. He's already had to. I believe two of his homes have been foreclosed upon. He did sell a Manhattan apartment for $28 million and he still does own more than one home in Pennsylvania and New York. So he does have tangible property. I'm not sure how they go about trying to acquire that or force him to pay. We've certainly seen civil judgments. O.J. simpson comes to mind, most notably where the Goldman's tried for decades to get money from him and are still trying to get money from his estate at this point. So a lot of these judgments sound like big deals and they are big deals, but a lot of times they end up in practicality being symbolic rather than actually financially lucrative. And remember, Bill cosby already had one other civil ruling against him back in 2022. I forgot about this. Where a jury found him liable for sexually assaulting a then 16 year old all the way back in 1975. So even though his criminal conviction has been overturned, now he has two civil lawsuits that have been successfully wagered against him. And there are more in the wings.

[T.J. Holmes]

Yeah, and this is a guy we have. I mean, he's 88. Who knows what kind of health he is in now, but he certainly don't know when was the last time we saw him in. Well, he doesn't make public appearances obviously, but, but yeah, he's kept an incredibly low profile. He is living out his days and he is spending those glory years. Right. He should have, he should have been celebrated to the end of his day. Still making appearances on television shows. The kind of hero he could have been. But all he's doing is waiting out his days robes and fighting lawsuits.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah, he was America's dad. I mean, we both were of that age where that was such a juggernaut of a show watched every single Thursday night. It was must see TV and everyone loved him. It, it was such a crushing blow to hear all of these women's accounts. And yes, there are now, I, I think it's one of those things where we talk about Sean Diddy Combs as well. You start to lose count. But by most accounts, there are more than a dozen other lawsuits against Bill Cosby that have been filed in multiple states, including New York and Nevada. So clearly a lot of those women and their attorneys were looking to see what would happen in this California civil case. And certainly when they see a payday and look, I say a payday again, we're not sure if this woman, Donna Monsinger, will see a penny of this money. But to see a jury award nearly $60 million, and most of it punitively to Bill Cosby will certainly send up the signals to so many other attorneys. And now that California and other states have have changed their laws on the statute of limitations, this has now paved the way for lawsuits like we saw yesterday in California. Well, we appreciate you listening to us as always, everyone. I'm Amy Robach alongside T.J. holmes. We have Morning Run coming up soon. Look for it.

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[Amy Robach]

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