E. Jean Carroll Is Suing Donald Trump for Defamation
E. Jean Carroll, the writer and “Ask E. Jean” advice columnist, is suing President Donald Trump for defamation that allegedly occurred this summer after she accused him of sexually assaulting her nearly 20 years ago.
In June Carroll joined the dozens of other women who have publicly made sexual misconduct allegations against Trump, with the publication of her memoir, What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal. In the book, which was excerpted in New York magazine, Carroll claimed Trump attacked her at a New York City department store in the mid-’90s, asking for her help in selecting a gift before sexually assaulting her in a dressing room.
Trump denied that the struggle in question took place, claiming that he had ever met Carroll (despite photo evidence of them together) and responding to her allegations by saying that Carroll “isn’t [his] type.”
Now, Carroll is “seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages” against Trump for claiming she was fabricating her alleged assault, the Washington Post reports. “I am filing this on behalf of every woman who has ever been harassed, assaulted, silenced, or spoken up only to be shamed, fired, ridiculed, and belittled,” Carroll said in a statement, adding, “No person in this country should be above the law—including the president.”
White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham dismissed Carroll’s claims on Monday, saying, “Let me get this straight—Ms. Carroll is suing the president for defending himself against false allegations? I guess since the book did not make any money, she’s trying to get paid another way.”
It’s impossible to predict the outcome of Carroll’s defamation lawsuit, but its very existence equals more bad press for a president already facing an impeachment investigation.
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Originally Appeared on Vogue
