ABC News Settles Defamation Lawsuit with Donald Trump for $15 Million

ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million in a settlement with President-elect Donald Trump over a defamation lawsuit filed earlier this year. The agreement, which was made public on Saturday, also includes a $1 million payment to cover Trump’s attorneys’ fees and a formal apology from the network.

The defamation suit stemmed from comments made by ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos during an interview on This Week with South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace on March 10, 2024.

During the segment, Stephanopoulos referred multiple times to a jury finding that Trump had “raped” E. Jean Carroll. Trump, who has denied all accusations of wrongdoing, contended that Stephanopoulos’ statements were false, intentional, and harmful to his reputation.

The remarks referenced a 2023 civil trial in which a jury found that Trump sexually abused Carroll, a former advice columnist, and awarded her $5 million in damages for battery and defamation. However, the jury did not find sufficient evidence to support the claim that Trump raped Carroll. In a subsequent ruling, a judge concluded that the claim of rape, though not supported by the jury’s verdict in the strict legal sense, was “substantially true” in the broader understanding of the word.

Trump’s lawsuit against ABC News accused the network and Stephanopoulos of defaming him by misrepresenting the jury’s verdict and using the term “rape” incorrectly. According to court documents, the defamation suit was filed in Florida federal court, and Trump argued that the statements had caused substantial harm to his public image.

As part of the settlement, ABC News issued a statement, acknowledging the misrepresentation. An editor’s note will be added to the article at the center of the lawsuit, reading: “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J. Trump made during an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”

The settlement was reached just a day before Trump and Stephanopoulos were scheduled to sit for depositions, which would have required Trump to testify under oath. The agreement now prevents him from having to testify, thus avoiding potential legal risks as he prepares to return to the White House.

This latest settlement follows Trump’s history of legal actions against media outlets. In late October, he filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS over a 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, alleging election interference and partisan bias.