Writer E. Jean Carroll has received a $5.62 million payment from Donald Trump, following a 2023 jury verdict that found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The funds, which include interest, were disbursed after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Mr. Trump’s appeal on June 29.
Payment of $5.62 Million After Years of Litigation
More than three years after a federal jury concluded that Donald Trump should be held accountable for his actions toward E. Jean Carroll, the writer has finally received the court-awarded damages. CBS News confirms the total disbursement reached $5.62 million, a figure that includes accrued interest on the original $5 million award granted by the jury in 2023. For Carroll, it was a wait that began long before the federal civil lawsuit went to trial in 2023, as she first went public with her story in 2019.
The money had been held in a court-controlled bank account while Mr. Trump pursued a series of appeals. The path to payment was cleared on June 29, when the Supreme Court denied a request to hear the former president’s challenge to the verdict. That day, Carroll celebrated her win in a brief note on her blog, writing in all capital letters, WE WON! and THIS WIN IS FOR EVERY WOMAN IN THE WORLD! The conclusion of this legal chapter follows a 2019 accusation by Carroll, who alleged that Mr. Trump sexually assaulted her in a department store dressing room during the mid-1990s.
Carroll’s Legal Team and the Final Disbursement
The final days before the payout were marked by a tense legal standoff. As the funds sat in a court-controlled bank account, lawyers for Mr. Trump sought to indefinitely delay payment, and Mr. Trump asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its rejection of his appeal. Carroll’s legal team pushed for immediate release, with lead attorney Roberta Kaplan characterizing the defense’s efforts as gamesmanship in filings to the trial judge.
Following the successful transfer, Carroll sent a triumphant email to readers of her Substack blog, writing The Eagle Has Landed, and thanking more than a dozen current and former members of her legal team. She also included a pointed mention of Alina Habba, a former attorney for Mr. Trump who for years led his defense.
“And . . . a special, special thanks to Alina Habba Esq.! I could not have done it without you.”
Kaplan issued a formal statement regarding the resolution, noting that the payment serves as the final result of the verdict delivered by the nine-person jury that found Mr. Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. “Today, we are pleased to report that she has received the damages payment the jury awarded her as a result of that verdict,” Kaplan said.
The 2023 Trial and Findings of Liability
The 2023 civil trial, which Mr. Trump did not attend, centered on allegations that he forcibly inserted his fingers into Carroll after a chance encounter while shopping at a New York City Bergdorf Goodman. What started as a pleasant walk through the store—with Carroll helping Mr. Trump choose a present for another woman—turned violent in a changing room, she alleged. The six men and three women of the jury deliberated for under three hours before reaching their unanimous decision.
While the jury found Mr. Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, they rejected the specific claim of rape under New York’s penal code, which requires proof of forceful penetration involving the attacker’s genitals. In subsequent rulings, however, the judge overseeing the case noted that New York law regarding the definition of rape is out of touch with federal standards and a modern understanding of the term, adding that Carroll’s assertion was substantially true.
During the proceedings, jurors heard testimony from two other women who alleged that Mr. Trump had engaged in similar misconduct, with Carroll’s attorneys arguing the allegations fit a modus operandi for Mr. Trump. The court also reviewed the Access Hollywood video clip from 2016, in which Mr. Trump described grabbing women’s genitals.
Ongoing Legal Challenges and Future Proceedings
For Carroll, age 82, the jury’s award closes one chapter of a long campaign she has waged to hold Mr. Trump accountable for the alleged abuse. However, she awaits closure from another trial. In January 2024, a separate federal jury awarded Carroll $83 million after finding Mr. Trump liable for making additional defamatory statements against her.
Mr. Trump has consistently denied all of Carroll’s allegations. His legal team has indicated that they intend to bring the $83 million verdict to the Supreme Court as well.
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