Trigger warning: mentions of sexual assault and rape.
Despite being found guilty of sexual abuse in his civil case on Tuesday, Bill Cosby is a very happy man. Why, might you ask? It’s because he views the ruling to be a win for him—an “astonishing victory,” to be exact—as quoted by his rep Andrew Wyatt. And why is that?
Well, according to Variety, Cosby’s joy stems primarily from the fact that the judge ruled that Judy Huth, the woman who brought the suit against the disgraced comedic actor, would only be receiving $500,000 and not any punitive damages—which would have reportedly cost the actor millions, per TMZ.
According to Cosby’s rep Andrew Wyatt, upon hearing the verdict, Cosby was pleasantly surprised, saying “That’s all?,” before later adding “Booyah!” (You know in case his excitement wasn’t explicit enough.)
In an official statement, Wyatt further explained: “Yesterday, actor and comedian Bill Cosby was awarded an astonishing victory by jurors in a civil trial brought by Judy Huth. The jurors decided to grant Judy Huth with a $500,000 verdict but voted 9-3 in favor of not rewarding Ms. Huth any punitive damages.”
As previously reported by The Root, on Tuesday, a California jury ruled that Bill Cosby sexually assaulted a then-16-year-old Huth 46 years ago. But because the judgment was handed down in a civil court instead of a criminal one, Cosby faces no possibility of jail time as a result. During the trial, Huth testified that Cosby invited her and a friend to a party at the Playboy Mansion—an estate owned by the late Hugh Hefner, who founded the magazine and adult entertainment empire—where he raped her. Despite being found guilty, Cosby continues to deny that that event ever happened.