Mon Sep 08 15:31:10 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
A U.S. appeals court has upheld the $83.3 million penalty against former President Donald Trump for defaming E. Jean Carroll. This stems from Trump’s repeated disparaging remarks about Carroll after she accused him of sexual assault, an accusation a previous jury found him liable for. The court found the original ruling and damages to be reasonable, citing Trump’s malicious intent and the need for a significant financial penalty to deter further defamation. Trump used the case to garner media attention and support, framing himself as a victim.
**News Article:**
**Trump’s $83.3 Million Defamation Penalty Upheld in Carroll Case**
**NEW YORK (September 8, 2025)** – A U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed an $83.3 million judgment against former President Donald Trump today, ruling against his appeal in the defamation case brought by author E. Jean Carroll. The judgment stems from Trump’s repeated defamatory statements about Carroll after she publicly accused him of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s.
The initial verdict, delivered in January 2024, included $65 million in punitive damages, $7.3 million in compensatory damages, and $11 million for a campaign to repair Carroll’s reputation. The jury determined that Trump acted maliciously in his public attacks against Carroll. These attacks continued even after a separate jury found him liable for sexually assaulting Carroll in a department store dressing room in 1996.
The Appeals Court stated that the lower court did not err in its rulings and deemed the jury’s damage awards “reasonable in light of the extraordinary and egregious facts of this case.” The court emphasized that a substantial financial penalty was necessary to prevent Trump from continuing to defame Carroll.
During the initial trial, jurors were presented with a deposition where Trump confused a picture of Carroll for his former wife, Marla Maples, undermining his claim that Carroll was “not his type.”
Trump, who did not testify or attend the trial, utilized the case to generate media attention and bolster his narrative of victimization during his ongoing political campaigning.
First Piper 