Trump pays E. Jean Carroll $5.63 million after Supreme Court rejects final appeal in sex abuse case
The payment, released from a court-supervised account on Monday, covers the original $5 million civil verdict plus interest and marks the first time the U.S. president has been forced to pay the writer.
The payment
E. Jean Carroll has collected nearly $5.63 million from Donald Trump after a federal jury in 2023 found the U.S. president liable for sexually abusing and defaming her, court records show. The money was released to Carroll's law firm on Monday, five days after U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan authorized the disbursement from a court-supervised account. The payout represents the original $5 million civil verdict plus interest accrued over roughly three years. It is the first time Trump has been forced to pay Carroll, who has won a total of $88.3 million in civil verdicts against the president over seven years.
Three years ago, a unanimous nine-person jury found President Trump liable for sexually assaulting and defaming E. Jean Carroll. We are pleased to report that she has received the damages payment the jury awarded her.
The allegations
Carroll, now 82, alleged in her 2019 memoir that Trump sexually assaulted her around 1996 in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in Manhattan. When the accusation became public, Trump denied ever meeting Carroll, called her a liar, and said she fabricated the alleged rape to help sell her book. Carroll then sued for defamation. In May 2023, a unanimous nine-person federal jury in Manhattan found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Carroll $2 million for the assault and $3 million for the defamation.
The legal path
Trump fought the verdict through multiple appeals. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his appeal from the $5 million verdict without citing a reason and without noted dissent. The previous week, Trump's lawyer had asked a federal appeals court to block the disbursement, arguing the president would suffer "irreparable harm" if Carroll gave away the money because it likely could not be recovered. The lawyer also said Carroll's assurance that she would place the funds in an interest-bearing account for her retirement did not matter, since she could still donate it. Judge Kaplan then ordered the release.
The American People stand with President Trump as they demand an immediate end to all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded travesty of the Carroll Hoaxes.
The second verdict
A separate defamation case produced a much larger judgment. In 2024, a different jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll $83.3 million based on his original 2019 denial during his first White House term. Trump is appealing that verdict, and federal courts have so far upheld the awarded amount. A final decision from the Supreme Court is still pending. Carroll's lawyer Roberta Kaplan, who is not related to the judge, confirmed that Carroll plans to use the $5.63 million as a retirement supplement while the larger case proceeds.
- Carroll publishes memoir accusing Trump of 1996 sexual assault; Trump denies and calls her a liar.
- Manhattan federal jury finds Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awards Carroll $5 million.
- Second jury orders Trump to pay Carroll $83.3 million for defamation based on his 2019 denial.
- U.S. Supreme Court rejects Trump's appeal of the $5 million verdict.
- Judge Kaplan orders disbursement; $5.63 million released to Carroll's law firm on Monday, July 13.
What comes next
Trump continues to deny all allegations, branding Carroll's claims a hoax and deriding the case as "weaponization and lawfare." His legal team is still searching for ways to recover the money already paid. The $83.3 million appeal remains the outstanding piece of the seven-year legal battle. Carroll, for her part, told her lawyer simply: "The eagle has landed."
