US Appeals Court Upholds $83.3M Defamation Award Against Donald Trump in E. Jean Carroll Case

A U.S. appeals court on Monday upheld a jury’s $83.3 million judgment against former President Donald Trump for defaming author E. Jean Carroll, who had accused him of sexual assault.

The January 2024 verdict awarded $65 million in punitive damages, $7.3 million in compensatory damages, and $11 million for an online reputation repair campaign. The sum far exceeded the $10 million Carroll originally sought, drawing audible gasps in the courtroom.

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals found the jury’s decision reasonable, given Trump’s repeated and malicious public attacks on Carroll after she went public with her allegations in 2019. Trump dismissed her claims at the time, saying she was “not my type.”

Jurors were also shown Trump’s 2022 deposition, where he mistakenly identified a photo of Carroll as his ex-wife, Marla Maples — undermining his denial.

In a separate 2023 case, another jury found Trump liable for sexually assaulting Carroll in a department store dressing room in 1996 and defaming her again in 2022 when he called her a “complete con job.”

The appeals court noted that a substantial financial penalty was necessary to deter Trump from further defamatory remarks.

Trump did not attend the trial but used the case to energize his supporters and claim political persecution as he campaigns for a return to the White House.