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E. Jean Carroll: Jury Finds Sexual Abuse and Defamation; $83.3 Million Damages

Carroll, a longtime advice columnist, alleged Trump attacked her in the dressing room of Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan in approximately 1996. Trump denied knowing her and described her as 'not my type.' The jury in May 2023 found Trump liable for sexual abuse (not rape, under the definition in New York law at the time) and defamation, awarding $5 million. After Trump continued publicly attacking Carroll following the verdict, she filed a second defamation suit; in January 2024, a jury awarded $83.3 million in compensatory and punitive damages — one of the largest defamation awards in U.S. history. Multiple other women made similar allegations; Trump denied all.

Record summary

Grade

Grade 2 of 5: Major Abuse of Power

Executive actions that exceed constitutional authority, circumvent statutory constraints, or weaponize government institutions for political ends. Scale and definitions

Status
Concluded
Incident date
Record updated
Location
New York, NY
Category
Civil Rights
Legal posture
Judicial finding
War-crime classification
Enabling conduct
Verification
Independently verified
ICC relevance
No
Sources
4 cited
Stable ID
trump-pre-presidency-e-jean-carroll-sexual-assault
Victims
E. Jean Carroll, sexually abused and subsequently subjected to years of public attacks funded through Trump's political organization
Alleged responsible parties
  • Donald Trump, Primary defendant; found liable for sexual abuse and defamation; continued publicly attacking Carroll after verdict, generating additional $83.3M in damages— Post-presidency / Trump Organization

Key points

  • The May 2023 federal jury in the Carroll v. Trump civil case found Trump liable for sexual abuse (under the New York statute as it existed at the time, which defined rape as penile penetration; the jury found the conduct constituted sexual abuse under the statute's definition) and defamation, awarding $5 million total
  • Judge Kaplan noted in rulings on the case that the jury's sexual abuse finding was 'tantamount to finding that Mr. Trump raped Ms. Carroll' under common understanding — the technical statutory limitation did not mean the jury found the conduct was something other than rape in its ordinary sense
  • After the May 2023 verdict, Trump continued publicly attacking Carroll as a liar and fraud, calling the case a 'witch hunt' and describing Carroll's account as fake; Carroll filed a second defamation suit based on these post-verdict statements
  • In January 2024, a second federal jury awarded $83.3 million in the defamation case — $18.3 million in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive damages — finding Trump's continued attacks on Carroll were defamatory and warranted substantial punishment
  • During the 2023 trial, audio tape from Access Hollywood (the 'grab them by the pussy' tape) was played; Carroll's lawyers introduced evidence of other women who had made similar allegations; Judge Kaplan allowed this evidence under Federal Rule of Evidence 415 governing sexual misconduct cases
  • Trump appealed both verdicts; the appeals were pending as of early 2025; Trump continued making public statements about Carroll while the appeals were pending

Overview

Two federal juries found Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The first awarded $5 million; the second awarded $83.3 million after Trump continued publicly attacking Carroll following the first verdict.

The second jury awarded $65 million in punitive damages. Punitive damages exist to punish conduct the law finds requires punishment beyond compensation.

The Finding

The May 2023 jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse. Under New York law as it existed at the time of the assault, "rape" required penile penetration; the jury found the conduct constituted "sexual abuse" under the statute. Judge Kaplan noted in subsequent rulings that this technical statutory distinction did not change the nature of what the jury found had occurred, calling the finding "tantamount to finding that Mr. Trump raped Ms. Carroll."

The Defamation

After the 2019 public allegation, Trump called Carroll a liar, denied knowing her, and described her account as a "witch hunt." After the May 2023 civil verdict finding him liable, he continued making these statements. Carroll filed a second defamation suit based on the post-verdict statements.

The January 2024 jury awarded $83.3 million, including $65 million in punitive damages. The award reflected the jury's determination that Trump's continued campaign against Carroll required punishment beyond what compensation alone could provide.

The Pattern

Trump's public response to the Carroll allegations — deny everything, attack the accuser, describe the proceedings as a political persecution — followed the same pattern as his responses to the housing discrimination case, the Trump University case, and every other legal proceeding in his history. It was, as multiple observers noted, Roy Cohn's playbook, applied decades after Cohn's death.

Update log

  1. Updated with January 2024 defamation verdict.

Sequence of events

  1. Alleged assault in Bergdorf Goodman dressing room

    Carroll alleges Trump attacked her in the dressing room of Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan. She does not report the incident at the time, which she later says was because she feared not being believed.

  2. Carroll publicly accuses Trump in New York magazine

    Carroll publicly accuses Trump of sexual assault in an excerpt from her book published in New York magazine. Trump denies knowing her and calls her 'not my type.' Carroll files a defamation suit over these statements.

  3. Jury finds Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation — $5M

    A federal jury finds Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding $5 million in damages. Judge Kaplan notes the finding is 'tantamount to finding rape' in common understanding.

  4. Second jury awards $83.3 million for post-verdict defamation

    A federal jury awards E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in compensatory and punitive damages for Trump's continued public attacks on her after the May 2023 verdict — one of the largest defamation awards in U.S. history.

Sources

  1. Jury Awards E. Jean Carroll $83.3 Million in Defamation Case Against Trump — The New York Times
  2. Trump ordered to pay E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in defamation case — The Washington Post
  3. Jury awards E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in damages against Trump — The Associated Press
  4. Jury Finds Trump Liable for Sexual Abuse and Defamation — The New York Times

How this record was published

Manually curated This entry was added directly and does not carry an automated audit trail.

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