Jania Ashlynn
E. Jean Carroll is feeling overwhelmed after Donald Trump was found legally responsible for sexually abusing and defaming her.
Videos by Rare
Case Closed
On Wednesday morning, Carroll, 79, spoke to Today and gave her first official reaction to the New York jury’s decision alongside her attorney Roberta Kaplan.
“I’m overwhelmed. I’m overwhelmed with joy and happiness and delight for the women in this country,” Carroll told Savannah Guthrie.
“He was found liable of a very serious charge,” she continued. “Sexual abuse under New York law is very serious and the jury found that that’s what he did.”
“I didn’t even hear the money,” she stated. Though the case won her $5 million in damages, she admitted that “this is not about the money. This is about getting my name back.”
Carroll stated that she is determined to get the damages she is owed from Trump.
“Oh I promise you that we will collect those damages against the former president,” Kaplan shared.
The Verdict
If she had the chance to confront Donald Trump face-to-face, Carroll was asked what she would say to him.
“I said it to [his lawyer] Joe Tacopina yesterday. He came over to congratulate me, put out his hand and I said, ‘He did it. You know he did.’ And we shook hands and I walked past by,” said Carroll. “So I got my chance to say it.”
This is the first time that Donald Trump, who has been accused of sexual assault by several women, was held legally responsible for sexual misconduct and defamation. After only a few hours of deliberation, the jury reached a unanimous verdict.
Nine jury members – six men and three women – were asked to answer up to ten questions in order to reach a unanimous conclusion. These questions addressed the degree of battery, if any, to hold President Trump liable for. The options included determining whether he raped, sexually abused, forcibly touched, or did none of the above to Carroll.
The jury ultimately concluded that although she was not raped, she had been sexually abused, which was the second-highest offense they could choose. Since this was a civil trial, their verdict did not determine guilt as a legal matter and did not lead to criminal charges. However, the jury had the power to order that Donald Trump pay $2 million for sexual abuse and nearly $3 million for defamation to the plaintiff, Carroll.
