{"slug":"trump-ivana-trump-rape-allegation-deposition","title":"Ivana Trump's Rape Allegation Against Donald Trump — Deposition Testimony","date":"1989-01-01","lastUpdated":"1993-06-01","description":"Ivana Trump, Donald Trump's first wife, gave deposition testimony in 1989 in which she described Donald Trump raping her during their marriage — pulling out her hair, pinning her down, and penetrating her without consent — in an incident she attributed to rage over a painful scalp surgery her doctor had performed. The account was first reported in a 1993 biography of Trump by Harry Hurt III. Ivana later issued a clarifying statement saying she did not mean 'rape' in a 'criminal sense.' Her 1989 deposition account remained in the public record.","summary":"Ivana Trump's deposition account described a violent sexual assault during their marriage: Trump had been infuriated by the pain from a scalp surgery and, Ivana said, tore out her hair, pinned her to the bed, and raped her. The account appeared in Harry Hurt III's 'Lost Tycoon' (1993). Ivana issued a statement walking back the word 'rape,' saying she did not use it in a criminal sense but used the word in an 'emotional, not literal sense.' Trump's attorney Michael Cohen, when the account was reported in the press during the 2016 campaign, threatened a reporter and falsely stated that 'you cannot rape your spouse' — a claim that was wrong under New York law even then.","category":"civil-rights","severity":"critical","ongoing":false,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.thedailybeast.com/ivana-trump-donald-trump-raped-me","title":"Ivana Trump: Donald Trump Raped Me","publisher":"The Daily Beast"},{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/28/us/politics/once-more-into-the-tabloid-fray-for-donald-trump.html","title":"Lost Tycoon and the 1989 rape allegation","publisher":"The New York Times"},{"url":"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ivana-trump-has-said-she-was-raped-by-donald-trump-she-later-changed-her-account/2015/07/28/7a14c82c-34e3-11e5-8e19-b6f3723bfbd6_story.html","title":"Ivana Trump's account and her later clarification","publisher":"The Washington Post"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["sexual-violence","Ivana-Trump","pre-presidency","marriage","allegation"],"relatedEntries":[],"timeline":[{"date":"1989-01-01","title":"Ivana gives deposition testimony","summary":"During divorce proceedings, Ivana gives deposition testimony describing a violent sexual assault by Trump during their marriage. The deposition is later cited in Harry Hurt's biography."},{"date":"1993-06-01","title":"'Lost Tycoon' published — Ivana issues clarification","summary":"Harry Hurt III publishes 'Lost Tycoon' including Ivana's account. Ivana's attorneys issue a statement on her behalf saying she did not use the word 'rape' in a criminal sense. The divorce settlement included a non-disparagement clause."},{"date":"2015-07-27","title":"Daily Beast republishes account during campaign","summary":"The Daily Beast republishes Ivana's account as Trump rises in polls. Michael Cohen, Trump's attorney, contacts the reporter with threats and makes the legally false claim that spouses cannot rape each other. Cohen later apologizes for the threat."}],"location":{"name":"New York, NY","lat":40.7128,"lng":-74.006},"custom":{"era":"pre-presidency","posture":"reported","warCrimeClassification":"enabling","internationalLaw":[{"statute":"Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women","article":"Article 2","provision":"State obligation to eliminate acts of gender-based violence against women; marital rape is not exempted under international human rights law"}],"iccRelevance":false,"victims":"Ivana Trump (née Zelníčková)","structuredVictims":[{"name":"Ivana Trump","group":"Trump family","status":"Gave deposition testimony describing non-consensual sexual intercourse during marriage"}],"structuredPerpetrators":[{"name":"Donald Trump","role":"Husband; alleged perpetrator","institution":"Trump Organization"}],"updateLog":[{"date":"1993-06-01","summary":"Updated with Ivana's clarifying statement."}]}}