More than 13 women have accused Donald Trump of sexual assault - and the list is growing

The slew of allegations - which the candidate denies - have prompted Republicans, including house speaker Paul Ryan, to stop defending him

Rachael Revesz
New York
Thursday 20 October 2016 18:14 BST
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Mr Trump and his campaign have denied all the allegations
Mr Trump and his campaign have denied all the allegations

As Donald Trump insists his “locker room talk” about grabbing women’s genitals was just words and not actions, more women have stepped forward to share their experiences of meeting and working with the presidential nominee.

"No one has more respect for women," he said at the second presidential debate.

The slew of allegations, including from former Celebrity Apprentice contestant Richard Hatch, who said Mr Trump behaved inappropriately with female contestants, comes less than a month before the US election.

What started as his rival, Hilary Clinton, highlighting his negative remarks and treatment about former Miss Universe, Alicia Machado, has become a tidal wave of negative press against the Republican.

Mr Trump has denied the allegations and threatened to sue publications including the New York Times for “lies”.

Karena Virginia

Ms Virginia said Mr Trump approached her at the US Open tennis tournament in 1998 in Queens, and allegedly grabbed her arm and breast.

"Don't you know who I am?" he allegedly asked her when she pulled back.

The Trump campaign has not yet denied the allegation, but has denied all of the others.

Nancy O’Dell

The journalist at the centre of the Mr Trump controversy surrounding the leaked 2005 video - in which Mr Trump was seen to be bragging about sexual assault - said "there is no room for objectification of women or anyone for that matter, not even in the locker room."

Mr Trump said on a bus with Billy Bush in teh video that Ms O'Dell was married but he tried to "move on her like a b***h". He said at the second presidential debate that many men talk in such ways and that it was “locker room talk”.

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Jessica Leeds

According to the New York Times, Ms Leeds was groped by Mr Trump on a plane more than three decades ago, before the businessman bought his own private fleet. About 45 minutes after take-off, Mr Trump allegedly lifted the armrest between them and touched her inappropriately. She said she recoiled and fled back to coach.

Rachel Crooks

Ms Crooks, who was a 22-year-old receptionist at Trump Tower in 2005, when she met the now nominee outside an elevator. She reportedly introduced herself, and they shook hands. He did not let her hand go and instead began kissing her, also on the mouth.

“I was so upset that he thought I was so insignificant that he could do that,” she told the newspaper.

Mr Trump has denied both allegations.

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Temple Taggart

Mr Trump was accused of sexual assault from former Miss Utah, who competed in 1997.

Mr Trump has denied the claim and said he did not know who Ms Taggart was, despite photos of the pair together.

“He turned to me and embraced me and gave me a kiss on the lips. I remember being shocked.”

The Trump campaign denied the claim.

Natasha Stoynoff

A writer for People magazine who visited the nominee’s Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, in 2005 to interview him while his pregnant wife, Melania Trump, was upstairs.

“I turned around, and within seconds, he was pushing me against the wall, and forcing his tongue down my throat.“

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Tasha Dixon

Former Miss Arizona, who competed in 2001, revealed that Mr Trump strolled in to the dressing room backstage as contestants were not fully dressed. She said it made her feel “vulnerable” and “awkward”.

Miss Teen USA contestants

Four women who took part in the 1997 Miss Teen USA beauty pageant said Mr Trump walked into their dressing room while some girls, who were as young as 15 years old, were getting changed.

“I remember putting on my dress really quick because I was like, ‘Oh my god, there’s a man in here,’” said Mariah Billado, the former Miss Vermont Teen USA.

Mr Trump told the Howard Stern radio show in 2005 that he could “get away” with walking in on the contestants as he owned the pageant.

“I don’t even wait,” he said,

“When you’re a star, they let you do it.”

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Cassandra Searles

Former Miss Washington claimed in a Facebook post that she was also groped by the real estate mogul.

“He probably doesn’t want me telling the story about that time he continually grabbed my ass and invited me to his hotel room,” ­Ms Searles wrote, as reported by Rolling Stone magazine.

Mindy McGillivray

Ms Macgillivray told the Palm Beach Post that Mr Trump groped her at Mar-a-Lago 13 years ago, while she was backstage at a Ray Charles concert. He denied the claim and threatened to sue the newspaper.

Jill Harth

The Boston Globe described a lawsuit in April where Ms Harth alleged that Mr Trump repeatedly harassed her for years, starting in 1992, when she and her boyfriend owned a beauty pageant business and wanted to strike a deal with Mr Trump. In 1993, she said he pushed her against a wall of his daughter Ivanka's bedrooom and kissed her.

"I was admiring the decoration, and next thing I know he's pushing me against a wall and has his hands all over me," she told the New York Times. The business relationship between her, her boyfriend and Mr Trump ended and they filed a lawsuit against the real estate mogul, while Ms Harth filed a separate suit against Mr Trump on her own. The lawsuits were settled in 1997. Ms Harth dated Mr Trump for several months in 1998, and said she was "Team Trump" in an email last year. She told the New York Times she was trying to get work.

Mr Trump has denied all allegations from Ms Harth.

Cathy Heller

Ms Heller reported that she was introduced to Mr Trump about 1997 at his Mar-a-Lago resort when he grabbed her and tried to kiss her on the mouth. He allegedly said, "Oh, come on", when she moved back and he kissed her for a long moment on the side of her mouth.

She decided to come forward after she saw the leaked 2005 video. Trump campaign spokesman Jason Miller said Ms Heller's account was "false".

Lucy Messerschmidt

Lucy Messerschmidt, a restaurant hostess on a Trump golf course near Los Angeles, alleged that she was rotated off shifts when Mr Trump was on the premises because he “likes to see fresh faces” and “young girls”, according to her 2013 lawsuit. She also alleged she was fired about age discrimination. She was one of nearly 1,000 employees who filed the suit about working conditions, and they reached a settlement with the company for $475,000.

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