The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected former President Donald Trump's appeal of a jury verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll. This decision leaves intact the $5 million judgment against him. The high court's refusal to hear the case was part of a series of orders and did not include any stated reasons.
The initial lawsuit, filed by Carroll, alleged that Trump sexually assaulted her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in the mid-1990s and then defamed her in 2022 by denying her allegations. In May 2023, a federal jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages, comprising $2 million for the sexual assault claim and $3 million for the defamation claim. Although the jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse, they did not find him liable for rape.
Trump's appeal centered on claims that the trial judge improperly allowed testimony from two other women, Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff, who also accused him of sexual assault. He also argued against the admission of the "Access Hollywood" tape, in which he is heard describing lewd behavior. A federal appeals court had previously upheld the verdict, stating that the evidence was properly admitted and that any potential error did not prejudice Trump.
This $5 million judgment is separate from an $83.3 million defamation verdict Carroll won against Trump in January 2024, which he is also appealing. Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, stated that the Supreme Court's decision affirms the jury's unanimous verdict and ends Trump's efforts to avoid accountability. Trump has stated that he will continue to fight the case, calling it a "fake case."
