Trump Pays $5.6m to Writer Over Assault, Defamation Verdict

United States President Donald Trump has paid $5.6 million to writer E. Jean Carroll after a civil jury found him liable for sexually assaulting and defaming her, bringing one of the long-running legal battles between the two to a close.

The payment was confirmed in a court filing on Tuesday, following the US Supreme Court’s decision in late June to reject Trump’s appeal against the original May 2023 judgment. The ruling effectively made the jury’s verdict final.

Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, welcomed the development, describing it as the conclusion of a case that affirmed the jury’s finding that Trump sexually assaulted and defamed her.

Carroll, an 82-year-old former journalist and columnist, alleged that Trump assaulted her inside a dressing room at a New York department store in 1996. Trump consistently denied the allegation, insisting it never happened.

After Carroll published her account in a 2019 book, Trump publicly dismissed her claims, describing her as a “nut job” and accusing her of fabricating the story. Those remarks formed the basis of the defamation claim against him.

The case became one of the most closely watched civil proceedings involving the US president, drawing widespread attention both within the United States and internationally.

In a separate defamation lawsuit arising from similar statements, a New York court ordered Trump to pay Carroll an additional $83.3 million in damages. Although that judgment has been upheld on appeal, enforcement of the payment remains suspended while further legal procedures continue.

The latest payment marks a significant milestone in the legal dispute, while the larger defamation award remains unresolved.

The outcome reinforces the earlier jury decision that found Trump liable for both sexual assault and defamation, despite his continued denial of the allegations.