Trump Pays E. Jean Carroll $5.62M After Supreme Court Rejects Appeal

E. Jean Carroll has finally received payment from Donald Trump — more than three years after a jury found the former president liable for sexual abuse and defamation. The payout totaled $5.62 million, including interest accrued during the lengthy legal battle.

The funds were released after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Trump's appeal, clearing the way for the money that had been held in a court-controlled account. Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, confirmed the receipt of the payment.

Kaplan noted that the unanimous jury verdict issued three years ago found Trump liable for sexual assault and defamation. She emphasized that her client has now received the damages awarded by the jury. This became possible after the nation's highest court rejected the former president's appeal.

In June, the Supreme Court refused to review the 2023 civil verdict that required Trump to pay Carroll $5 million. With interest, the final amount rose to $5.62 million. The case stemmed from an incident in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s, where Carroll alleged Trump sexually assaulted her.

The jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation but not for rape under New York's legal definition. This distinction became a key point in the legal qualification of the case and sparked widespread public reaction.

Although this chapter is financially closed, the legal battle continues. Trump is still appealing a separate 2024 jury verdict ordering him to pay Carroll approximately $83 million for additional defamatory statements he made after she first came forward with her allegations.

This case has become one of the most high-profile in the series of legal battles surrounding Donald Trump since his presidency. Experts note that the payment in Carroll's case may have implications for other cases involving allegations of misconduct against the politician.

For Carroll, a former Elle columnist, this is a significant victory that closes one of the longest legal proceedings against the former president. However, she has already stated that she will continue to seek justice in other matters related to defamation.