E. Jean Carroll Receives $5.62 Million Damages Payment From Trump After Three-Year Legal Battle

E. Jean Carroll has finally received $5.62 million in damages from Donald Trump, more than three years after a federal jury unanimously found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The payment marks the conclusion of a protracted legal saga that began when the writer first publicly disclosed her allegations in 2019. Court records confirm the funds, which include accrued interest on the original $5 million jury award, have been transferred from a court-controlled bank account to Carroll.

The Legal Timeline and Verdict

Carroll's civil lawsuit proceeded to trial in 2023, where a nine-person jury deliberated for less than three hours before reaching its unanimous verdict. The jury determined that more likely than not, Trump forcibly assaulted Carroll in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in New York City during the mid-1990s. According to trial testimony, what began as a routine shopping interaction—with Carroll assisting Trump in selecting a gift—escalated into violence within a changing room. Trump did not attend the trial, and his legal team called no witnesses during the proceedings.

The jury found Trump liable on two of the three claims brought against him: sexual abuse and defamation. Carroll's rape claim, defined under New York's penal code, was rejected by the jury. The defamation component also stemmed from Trump's public denials of her allegations, including a 2022 post on Truth Social in which he disputed her account.

The Payment Delay and Final Resolution

Following the 2023 verdict, Trump's legal team sought to delay payment by requesting the Supreme Court reconsider its rejection of an appeal filed on his behalf. That reconsideration request was denied, clearing the way for disbursement. Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, characterized Trump's delay tactics as "gamesmanship" while pressing the trial judge to accelerate release of funds from escrow. Last week, the presiding judge ordered the payment be made despite Trump's continued legal maneuvering. Trump's lawyers subsequently labeled the case a "hoax" and "witch hunt," claiming it had been funded by Democrats.

Carroll, an 82-year-old former magazine columnist, celebrated the payment in a brief Substack post, writing in capital letters: "WE WON!" She added, "THIS WIN IS FOR EVERY WOMAN IN THE WORLD!"