In a decisive moment for a high-profile legal struggle spanning several years, US Writer, E. Jean Carroll has officially received a wire transfer exceeding $5 million from Donald Trump.
This payout follows a jury’s determination three years ago holding Trump liable for sexually assaulting and defaming the writer.
The transaction, totaling $5,625,005.48 to account for the initial damages alongside accumulated interest, was authorized by Judge Lewis Kaplan. The order came down after the Supreme Court turned away a petition from Trump’s legal team to block the release of the funds.
Although Trump’s attorneys argued the cash should remain frozen while they pursued a long-shot petition for a rehearing, the transfer to Carroll’s legal representation was finalized on the federal court docket.
In court documents submitted by Carroll’s attorneys, the 82-year-old author plans to deposit the sum into an interest-yielding account to support her retirement, keeping it preserved until Trump’s final rehearing petition is formally resolved.
Her legal representatives are working on a contingency basis and will not be taking any fees from this specific payout. Expressing relief at the milestone, Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan issued a statement confirming the completion of the payment:
“Three years ago, a unanimous nine-person jury found President Trump liable for sexually assaulting and defaming E. Jean Carroll. Today, we are pleased to report that she has received the damages payment the jury awarded her as a result of that verdict.
“Meanwhile, Trump’s defense team continues to challenge the financial execution. His lawyers recently turned to a federal appeals court to halt the transfer, requesting that the court force the funds back into judicial escrow while the broader appeal process continues.
The appellate court has not yet ruled on this latest maneuver, having previously dismissed an emergency request to delay the transaction.
The courtroom saga began when Carroll publicly accused Trump of sexually abusing her in a department store dressing room during the mid-1990s. Trump vigorously denied the allegations, calling the story a complete fabrication designed to drive book sales and stating that Carroll was not his type.
The resulting civil trial ended with a jury finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Carroll an initial $5 million. The conflict escalated the following day during a televised CNN town hall, where Trump publicly labeled Carroll’s claims a fake story and referred to her as a “whack job.”
These remarks prompted Carroll’s legal team to amend a separate, pre-existing 2019 defamation suit to incorporate the new statements. Trump actively attended the subsequent second trial, even briefly taking the stand to testify.
The second jury concluded that his 2019 statements were indeed defamatory, returning a much larger verdict of $83 million against him. Trump’s defense team is currently preparing a petition to present to the Supreme Court by the end of the month, arguing that presidential immunity shields him from the multi-million dollar judgment.