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| E. Jean Carroll, Who Accused Trump of Rape, Sues Him for Defamation | E. Jean Carroll, Who Accused Trump of Rape, Sues Him for Defamation |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| E. Jean Carroll publicly shared a secret in June that she had kept largely to herself for more than two decades: Donald J. Trump, she said, had raped her in the dressing room of an upscale department store in New York City. | E. Jean Carroll publicly shared a secret in June that she had kept largely to herself for more than two decades: Donald J. Trump, she said, had raped her in the dressing room of an upscale department store in New York City. |
| President Trump vehemently denied the allegations. He called Ms. Carroll a liar, intent on selling a new book. He said he had never met her, despite a photo of the two of them together in the 1980s. He told reporters that he would not have assaulted Ms. Carroll because “she’s not my type.” | President Trump vehemently denied the allegations. He called Ms. Carroll a liar, intent on selling a new book. He said he had never met her, despite a photo of the two of them together in the 1980s. He told reporters that he would not have assaulted Ms. Carroll because “she’s not my type.” |
| Now Ms. Carroll, a journalist and columnist for Elle Magazine, has sued Mr. Trump for defamation, saying in a lawsuit filed in state court on Monday that Mr. Trump had damaged her reputation and her career when he denied her allegation in June. | Now Ms. Carroll, a journalist and columnist for Elle Magazine, has sued Mr. Trump for defamation, saying in a lawsuit filed in state court on Monday that Mr. Trump had damaged her reputation and her career when he denied her allegation in June. |
| His statements about Ms. Carroll, the lawsuit said, “are fully consistent with his tried-and-true playbook for responding to credible public reports that he sexually assaulted women.” | His statements about Ms. Carroll, the lawsuit said, “are fully consistent with his tried-and-true playbook for responding to credible public reports that he sexually assaulted women.” |
| Another woman, Summer Zervos, a former contestant on Mr. Trump’s television show “The Apprentice,” has filed a similar lawsuit against the president, saying he defamed her when he called her a liar after she said he had sexually harassed her during a business meeting. | Another woman, Summer Zervos, a former contestant on Mr. Trump’s television show “The Apprentice,” has filed a similar lawsuit against the president, saying he defamed her when he called her a liar after she said he had sexually harassed her during a business meeting. |
| The lawsuits raise the possibility that the president will have to defend his statements in court, and evidence about the truth of the allegations will come out. The two women say they want to hold the president accountable for what they say were false statements, and to get him to retract what he has said. | The lawsuits raise the possibility that the president will have to defend his statements in court, and evidence about the truth of the allegations will come out. The two women say they want to hold the president accountable for what they say were false statements, and to get him to retract what he has said. |
| “You cannot lie and attack somebody again after they decide to come out about what you did to them,” said Ms. Zervos’s lawyer, Mariann Meier Wang. “The law allows a woman to hold a liar and defamer accountable.” | |
| Ms. Carroll said on Monday during a phone interview that she was doing this for “every woman who has come forward and was dragged through the mud, ridiculed and called a liar.” | Ms. Carroll said on Monday during a phone interview that she was doing this for “every woman who has come forward and was dragged through the mud, ridiculed and called a liar.” |
| The purpose of the lawsuit is “to demonstrate that even a man as powerful as Trump can be held accountable under the rule of law,” the filing states. | The purpose of the lawsuit is “to demonstrate that even a man as powerful as Trump can be held accountable under the rule of law,” the filing states. |
| At least 10 women accused Mr. Trump of sexual misconduct during the presidential campaign in 2016. | At least 10 women accused Mr. Trump of sexual misconduct during the presidential campaign in 2016. |
| “When Carroll’s account of what had happened to her was published, Donald Trump not only denied the rape, but denied ever having met Carroll or knowing who she was,” said Robbie Kaplan, a lawyer for Ms. Carroll. “But Trump knew his statements were false and defamatory — he knew who Carroll was that day at Bergdorf Goodman and he knows who she is now.” | “When Carroll’s account of what had happened to her was published, Donald Trump not only denied the rape, but denied ever having met Carroll or knowing who she was,” said Robbie Kaplan, a lawyer for Ms. Carroll. “But Trump knew his statements were false and defamatory — he knew who Carroll was that day at Bergdorf Goodman and he knows who she is now.” |
| Mr. Trump, who also suggested that Ms. Carroll was conspiring with the Democratic Party to hurt him politically, “injured the reputation on which she makes her livelihood and attracts readers,” the lawsuit states. | Mr. Trump, who also suggested that Ms. Carroll was conspiring with the Democratic Party to hurt him politically, “injured the reputation on which she makes her livelihood and attracts readers,” the lawsuit states. |
| Ms. Carroll said in the lawsuit that readers no longer wanted to write to a woman who the president had branded a liar and that her column has received 50 percent less letters from readers. | Ms. Carroll said in the lawsuit that readers no longer wanted to write to a woman who the president had branded a liar and that her column has received 50 percent less letters from readers. |
| Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Marc E. Kasowitz, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. | Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Marc E. Kasowitz, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. |
| Ms. Carroll disclosed the alleged attack, which she said happened in late 1995 or early 1996, in a book and spoke publicly about it. She said that she was leaving Bergdorf Goodman, a luxury department store on Fifth Avenue, when she saw Mr. Trump entering the store. | Ms. Carroll disclosed the alleged attack, which she said happened in late 1995 or early 1996, in a book and spoke publicly about it. She said that she was leaving Bergdorf Goodman, a luxury department store on Fifth Avenue, when she saw Mr. Trump entering the store. |
| The two had met once before and traveled in the same media circles, she said. At the time, Ms. Carroll was the host of a daily television show and a frequent guest on NBC’s “Today” show. | The two had met once before and traveled in the same media circles, she said. At the time, Ms. Carroll was the host of a daily television show and a frequent guest on NBC’s “Today” show. |
| Mr. Trump, she said, stopped her and said, “Hey, you’re that advice lady!” | Mr. Trump, she said, stopped her and said, “Hey, you’re that advice lady!” |
| Mr. Trump then told her he was looking for a gift for a woman and asked Ms. Carroll to help him. Ms. Carroll suggested several items before Mr. Trump decided on lingerie, the lawsuit stated. | Mr. Trump then told her he was looking for a gift for a woman and asked Ms. Carroll to help him. Ms. Carroll suggested several items before Mr. Trump decided on lingerie, the lawsuit stated. |
| Mr. Trump spotted a lilac bodysuit and insisted Ms. Carroll try it on, to which she suggested that he try it on. According to the lawsuit, Mr. Trump grabbed Ms. Carroll by the arm, walked her over to the dressing room and said, “Let’s put this on.” | Mr. Trump spotted a lilac bodysuit and insisted Ms. Carroll try it on, to which she suggested that he try it on. According to the lawsuit, Mr. Trump grabbed Ms. Carroll by the arm, walked her over to the dressing room and said, “Let’s put this on.” |
| He suddenly lunged at her, pushed her against a wall and kissed her, she said in the lawsuit. She pushed him away but he then pinned her against the wall, pulled down her tights and raped her. The attack, she said, lasted up to three minutes, ending after she was able to push him off her. | He suddenly lunged at her, pushed her against a wall and kissed her, she said in the lawsuit. She pushed him away but he then pinned her against the wall, pulled down her tights and raped her. The attack, she said, lasted up to three minutes, ending after she was able to push him off her. |
| Ms. Carroll said she confided in two friends about what had happened. One encouraged her to go to the police. The second suggested that she not report it because Mr. Trump could destroy her. | Ms. Carroll said she confided in two friends about what had happened. One encouraged her to go to the police. The second suggested that she not report it because Mr. Trump could destroy her. |
| Ms. Carroll, who has given her readers advice on how to deal with abuse, said she felt compelled to make the president answer for what he had done to her. | Ms. Carroll, who has given her readers advice on how to deal with abuse, said she felt compelled to make the president answer for what he had done to her. |
| “No one, not even the president, is above the law,” Ms. Carroll said in a statement on Monday. “While I can no longer hold Donald Trump accountable for assaulting me more than 20 years ago, I can hold him accountable for lying about it and I fully intend to do so.” | “No one, not even the president, is above the law,” Ms. Carroll said in a statement on Monday. “While I can no longer hold Donald Trump accountable for assaulting me more than 20 years ago, I can hold him accountable for lying about it and I fully intend to do so.” |
| Last year, a defamation suit brought by Stormy Daniels, a pornographic film actress who has said she had an affair with Mr. Trump, was dismissed by a federal judge in California. She had argued that the president defamed her by calling her claims false, but the court ruled that Mr. Trump was engaging in lawfully protected free speech. | Last year, a defamation suit brought by Stormy Daniels, a pornographic film actress who has said she had an affair with Mr. Trump, was dismissed by a federal judge in California. She had argued that the president defamed her by calling her claims false, but the court ruled that Mr. Trump was engaging in lawfully protected free speech. |