Jury decision sees Trump hit with substantial damages following defamation and abuse claims

E Jean Carroll was seen grinning as she exited a New York court on Friday, 26 January, after a jury ruled that Donald Trump must pay her $83.3 million in damages. This latest ruling follows her previous victory last year when a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

The nine-member jury awarded Carroll $65 million in punitive damages and over $18 million in compensatory damages, stemming from Trump’s defamatory remarks about the former Elle magazine columnist. This amount is in addition to the $5 million Carroll received in 2024 after Trump was found guilty of both sexual abuse and defamation.

The verdict was reached after roughly three hours of deliberation, concluding a tense and highly publicised two-week civil trial in a Manhattan federal courtroom.