Did Donald Trump settle with E. Jean Carroll and when was that resolved?

1. What the courts decided: a jury verdict that stuck

A federal jury in May 2023 found Trump liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll and for defaming her, awarding $5 million in damages; that $5 million verdict was affirmed by an appellate panel in December 2024 and described in subsequent reporting as the central civil judgment Carroll has pursued ^{[1] [2] [7]}.

2. Appeals, procedural posture, and where the money stood

After the 2023 verdict Trump appealed; the Second Circuit affirmed in late 2024 and denied his initial challenges, and later refused an en banc rehearing in June 2025, per reporting; outlets also note that the $5 million has at points been placed in an account held by the court (escrow) while appeals continued ^{[2] [7] [6] [5]}.

3. Did Trump “settle”? The reporting does not say he did

Available sources do not report a settlement between Trump and Carroll resolving the $5 million civil verdict; instead they describe an affirmed jury judgment, appeals to higher courts, and Trump’s petition to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking reversal of the $5 million award ^{[1] [2] [8] [9]}. Reports describe separate settlements in related litigation—most notably ABC’s separate settlement with third parties—but not a settlement that disposes of Carroll’s judgment against Trump ^{[2] [10]}.

4. Additional awards and related defamation proceedings

Separate reporting documents follow-on defamation proceedings and larger damage figures in related suits: some outlets report an $83.3 million defamation judgment in a later jury finding that was also appealed and litigated through the courts; coverage treats these as related but distinct legal results from the initial $5 million award ^{[3] [4] [11]}.

5. Trump’s legal strategy and public posture

Trump’s team has framed Carroll’s allegations as politically motivated and has repeatedly sought to overturn the verdicts, including appealing to the Supreme Court; legal filings argued evidence rulings and admission of propensity evidence were erroneous and asked the high court to review the $5 million judgment ^{[12] [9] [8]}.

6. Conflicting narratives in coverage — court record vs. political claims

Court documents and appellate rulings show juries found liability and judges and panels upheld evidentiary decisions; by contrast, Trump’s filings and public statements characterize the suit as a hoax and politically driven. News coverage highlights both the jury’s factual findings and the administration of appeals, and also records Trump’s contention that the case lacks eyewitness or physical evidence ^{[7] [12] [11]}.

7. Practical consequence: collection and enforcement remain contested

Reporting notes two practical options after an adverse ruling: accept the judgment and permit collection (the $5 million was at times held in court accounts) or continue appealing up to the Supreme Court; at least one outlet explicitly states Trump had paid the $5 million into escrow pending appeal or that the funds were being held while appeals played out ^{[5] [6]}. Whether Carroll ultimately collects depends on pending appellate and Supreme Court actions, according to the sources.

8. What reporters and legal analysts focused on

Coverage concentrated on three elements: the underlying jury findings of sexual abuse and defamation (the $5 million award), subsequent defamation damages reported in separate proceedings (the $83.3 million figure), and the appellate trajectory culminating in a petition to the Supreme Court—items legal analysts say determine whether the judgments will be enforced or overturned ^{[1] [4] [8]}.

Limitations and caveats: these sources do not report any final compromise or settlement between Trump and E. Jean Carroll that resolves the $5 million civil judgment; they document judgments, appeals, and at least one instance of funds being held in court escrow while disputes continue ^{[2] [6] [5]}. If you want, I can compile a timeline of the key filings and decisions from the cited pieces.