How social media backlash almost prevented E. Jean Carroll's friend from going public

George Back
·Producer, Yahoo Entertainment

On Wednesday, Lisa Birnbach sat down with CNN’s Anderson Cooper for her first televised interview on Cuomo Prime Time. Lisa Birnbach made the news last week when it was revealed on The New York Times podcast, “The Daily,” that she was one of two women E. Jean Caroll confided in after allegedly being sexually assaulted by President Trump in 1996.

On the podcast, Birnbach recalled a phone call she received from Carroll shortly after the alleged incident took place. While speaking with Cooper, she admitted she was reluctant to go public with her side of the story. She said, “I totally did not want to do this.”

When Anderson pushed for a reason why, Birnbach said, “I didn't want to because mean and devastating things are posted by people who feel like this is a politically motivated attack”

Birnbach was adamant that her willingness to come forward was not politically motivated. “No one's attacking here,” she said, “I'm just saying what I heard on the telephone.”

During the rest of the interview, Birnbach recalled the phone call she had with Caroll. She also revealed that she was the one who suggested Carroll was raped, based on what she had been told. Anderson asked, “You used that word to her, this is rape?” To which Birnbach replied, “That's the word that came to mind.”

Cuomo Prime Time airs weeknights at 9 p.m. on CNN.

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