Trump Pays E. Jean Carroll $5 Million in Damages

Donald Trump paid $5 million to writer E. Jean Carroll this week, complying with a jury's verdict that found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The payment was made after Trump's legal team was unsuccessful in their attempts to persuade the Supreme Court to overturn the judgment.

In May 2023, a jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages. The jury determined that Trump sexually abused Carroll in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in the mid-1990s and subsequently defamed her when he denied the allegations. The defamation portion of the verdict included $2 million for sexual abuse and $1 million for defamation in relation to statements made in 2019.

Trump's legal strategy involved seeking a stay of the judgment, which would have paused the payment while his appeals were processed. However, these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. The payment now closes a significant chapter in the legal battles between Trump and Carroll, stemming from her accusations made public in her 2019 book.

Carroll's lawsuit was filed under New York's Adult Survivors Act, a law that created a one-year window for survivors of sexual assault to bring forward claims that would have otherwise been time-barred. The jury's decision affirmed that Trump's statements about Carroll were defamatory, contributing to the substantial damages awarded.