On Monday, attorneys for Elizabeth Jean Carroll filed an updated complaint against former President Donald Trump, asking for $10 million in damages. After Trump made disparaging remarks about the journalist and author on CNN’s town hall, she decided to take him to court. In the televised event, he made these comments a day after a New York jury convicted him guilty of sexually assaulting the author.
Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s attorney, informed the New York Times that her client is suing Trump for defamation over the former president’s statements. She explained these remarks were so damaging that Carroll allegedly lost her job as an advice columnist for Elle magazine. Kaplan also said that the ex-president “doubled down” on his negative remarks against Carroll the day after the judgement against him was announced on May 9.
On that day, the jury decided that the former president had sexually molested her in a New York City dressing room in 1996. Together, the jury awarded damages of over $5 million. This sum included around $3.1 million for libel and $2.1 million for sexual assault.
Kaplan also told the liberal daily that Trump’s comments during the town hall gathering “makes a mockery” of the US legal system and the New York jury ruling.
The complaint stated that Trump’s statements at the town hall gathering revealed his deep-seated hatred for Carroll. Therefore, the complaint asked for a large award of punitive damages in favor of the journalist and author. The lawsuit also claims it hopes to stop others from participating in similar behavior by punishing Trump and discouraging him from defamation in the future.
Carroll opted to testify at the trial after writing a book in 2019 in which she claimed Trump sexually attacked her in a dressing room. Although the jury found Trump guilty of sexually assaulting the author, they concluded she had not been raped.
