A Manhattan, New York jury has determined that former president
Donald Trump must pay writer E. Jean Carroll a whopping $83 million for
defaming her after a different civil court jury last year found him
liable for defamation, as well as sexual abuse.
Carroll, a former longtime Elle magazine advice columnist, was initially seeking $10 million in damages.
But during closing arguments on Friday, her attorney upped that to $24 million, saying the former president should pay his alleged abuse victim “at least” that much for defaming Carroll because “the only thing he cares about is money.”
Attorneys for Carroll and Trump rested their cases after closing arguments on Friday morning. The former US commander-in-chief stormed out of the courtroom just minutes into Carroll’s attorney’s remarks, returning just over an hour later.
Trump took the
stand to defend himself for just three minutes on Thursday, marking the
first time a jury heard directly from Trump, live in court in any of the
current cases against him since he left the White House.
Trump was not required to be in court since the case is a civil one but vowed from the outset that he intended to “go to all days” of the trial.
Donald Trump was ordered Friday to pay $83.3 million in damages for defaming E. Jean Carroll, the advice columnist a prior jury had already found Trump sexually assaulted inside a department store fitting room.
The former president, 77, had already left court when the verdict was read.
The jurors five men and four women rendered their decision after just under three hours of deliberations.
Carroll’s side had been seeking at least $24 million in damages.
