Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Trump calls E Jean Carroll a stalker over 2012 Facebook comment

Former president is facing a second lawsuit after repeatedly defaming the longtime Elle advice columnist

Bevan Hurley
Wednesday 24 May 2023 18:59 BST
Comments
E Jean Carroll supporters talk to The Independent after Trump’s liable verdict

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Donald Trump appears to have defamed E Jean Carroll again after calling her a “stalker” for a decade-old social media post in which she called herself a “massive fan” of The Apprentice.

“Is she, in actuality, a stalker?” Mr Trump wrote on his struggling Truth Social platform, above a 2012 Facebook post by the writer and advice columnist.

The former president has made several apparently defamatory statements about Ms Carroll since he was found liable for her sexual assault and defamation at trial earlier this month.

This week, Ms Carroll’s attorneys filed an amended complaint on her pending defamation lawsuit against the ex-president to include smears against her at a CNN town hall event.

Ms Carroll, 78, was quizzed under cross-examination during the trial about old texts and social media posts in which she spoke of being a fan of The Apprentice, which was then hosted by Mr Trump.

She told the New York jury that she had written several complimentary Facebook posts to support two friends who were appearing on the reality TV show.

She said she enjoyed The Apprentice’s “witty competition”, but usually turned off when Mr Trump would fire contestants at the end of the show.

Carroll is suing Trump in a pending defamation lawsuit
Carroll is suing Trump in a pending defamation lawsuit (EPA, Getty)

Dr Leslie Lebowitz, a clinical psychologist hired by Ms Carroll’s legal team, testified that the former Elle columnist suffered a panic attack after being shown an Apprentice episode by a television network.

“She became so flooded with memories, with a sense of panic, that she lost her capacity to speak,” Dr Lebowitz told the court. 

Ms Carroll was awarded $5m in damages by the jury after it found Mr Trump liable for sexually assaulting her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room, and then harming her reputation by denying the attack had taken place.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in