What Are Quaaludes? The Drug Bill Cosby Admits Under Oath He Obtained to Give Women While Seeking Sex

Bill Cosby's name is once again dominating headlines after court documents resurfaced detailing sworn testimony in which the comedian acknowledged obtaining quaaludes with the intention of giving them to women while seeking sex. The admission, made under oath in a sealed deposition, has renewed scrutiny of a banned sedative drug and its role in a long-running rape lawsuit that continues to move through the courts.

Sworn Testimony Places Quaaludes Back In Focus

In deposition testimony tied to a civil lawsuit, Bill Cosby confirmed that he obtained quaaludes through a prescription and later refilled it multiple times. According to the legal documents, Cosby said he did not take the pills himself but intended to give them to women during sexual encounters. The statements were made under oath and form part of ongoing legal arguments in the case.

The deposition remains sealed, but portions have been cited in court filings as the lawsuit proceeds. Lawyers for Cosby are seeking to have the case dismissed, while the accuser's legal team is pushing back, arguing that the testimony is relevant to the claims being made.

How Cosby Said He Obtained The Drug

According to the court records, Cosby testified that he was given a prescription for quaaludes by a gynecologist during a poker game hosted at his Los Angeles home. The events described in the testimony date back to before 1972. The doctor identified in the filings is Dr Leroy Amar, a former physician whose medical licence was later revoked in California in 1979.

The documents describe the pills as round and white and indicate that Cosby refilled the prescription several times. The circumstances surrounding how the drug was obtained and used have become a central point of contention in the lawsuit.

What Are Quaaludes?

Quaaludes, the street name for methaqualone, are sedative-hypnotic drugs that were commonly prescribed in the 1960s and early 1970s to treat insomnia and anxiety. The drug produces drowsiness, relaxation and impaired coordination, effects that later led to widespread recreational misuse.

Because quaaludes can significantly impair awareness and physical control, their alleged use has become a key issue in cases involving claims of sexual assault and consent.

Legal Status Of The Drug

By the early 1980s, quaaludes were classified as illegal in the United States following growing concerns over abuse and safety. The drug is now listed as a Schedule I controlled substance, meaning it has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

Although the events described in Cosby's testimony predate the ban, the drug's effects and reputation remain central to understanding the allegations outlined in the lawsuit.

Rape Allegation Linked To The Drugs

In a legal document obtained by TMZ, Donna Motsinger says she was working as a server at the Trident restaurant in Sausalito, California, when she encountered Cosby.

In her court filings, Motsinger claims Cosby gave her a pill she believed to be aspirin. She says she began to lose consciousness after taking it and later woke up in her home wearing only her underwear. Her legal team argues that Cosby's sworn statements about quaaludes support her account of being drugged.

Where The Case Stands Now

Cosby's legal team continues to argue that Motsinger's lawsuit should be dismissed, while her lawyers maintain that the deposition and supporting documents warrant the case moving forward. The dispute has placed renewed attention on decades-old testimony and the role of quaaludes in allegations that still carry significant legal and public consequences today.