Which civil lawsuits has Donald Trump faced related to sexual misconduct and what were their outcomes?
Executive summary
Multiple civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct by Donald Trump have reached juries, settlements, dismissals or remain on appeal; the most concrete result is the E. Jean Carroll litigation where juries and judges awarded Carroll $5 million in one federal case and a total of $88.3 million across related suits, with appeals ongoing [1]. Other suits — including a 2016 claim tied to Jeffrey Epstein and earlier harassment suits — were dropped or settled, and reporting catalogs many allegations that did not produce final civil judgments in public record [2] [3] [4].
1. E. Jean Carroll: the clearest civil verdict and its aftermath
E. Jean Carroll sued Trump after she publicly accused him of sexually assaulting her in the mid‑1990s; a federal jury in May 2023 found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation and ordered $5 million in damages, and the two related Carroll suits together resulted in $88.3 million awarded, with appeals and post‑judgment motions still pending as of the latest reporting [1]. The federal appeals process has rejected some of Trump’s challenges and denied an en banc rehearing; Trump sought Supreme Court review in November 2025, and parts of the litigation remain under appeal [1].
2. Lawsuits that were dropped or dismissed
Reporting shows at least one high‑profile sexual‑assault claim tied to a 1994 party and Jeffrey Epstein was filed in New York in 2016 and later dropped on November 4, 2016 [2] [3]. Newsweek and other coverage note similar federal filings in 2016 that were withdrawn or dismissed years earlier, undercutting social‑media efforts to resurface stale or dismissed complaints as current legal jeopardy [4].
3. Earlier civil claims and settlements: mixed outcomes
Trump has faced earlier civil suits alleging sexual harassment and misconduct; for example, Jill Harth Houraney filed a $125 million suit in the 1990s claiming harassment, and other suits or threatened suits have sometimes ended in undisclosed settlements or did not reach jury findings [3]. Scholarly reviews and investigative summaries emphasize that many public allegations never produced decisive courtroom victories or resulted in private settlements, reflecting the uneven path from allegation to civil judgment [5] [6].
4. Scale of allegations vs. legal proof
Media and investigative compilations list dozens of women who have accused Trump of unwanted touching, groping, or harassment over decades, but the reporting and legal record show relatively few completed civil verdicts; the Carroll cases stand out as the principal jury findings of liability [2] [7]. Academic commentary argues litigation has been an imperfect avenue for accountability in these matters and calls for broader inquiry, noting that many allegations face barriers in courts [5] [6].
5. How coverage and litigation interact — caution about social media claims
News organizations have flagged instances in which old, withdrawn or dismissed filings are republished as if current; a 2016 federal filing that was dismissed resurfaced in social posts and was characterized as misleading in reporting [4]. Journalistic and legal sources urge caution: a large volume of allegations does not equal a corresponding volume of civil judgments, and settled or dismissed matters can be misinterpreted online [4] [8].
6. What’s unresolved and what reporters note about appeals
The Carroll judgments, though significant, remain subject to appeals and post‑trial motions; courts and appeals panels have already disposed of some of Trump’s challenges but further review was sought, including to the Supreme Court, as noted in late 2025 filings [1]. Available sources do not mention final resolution of all appeals or the precise status of collection on the monetary awards beyond noting appeals and motions [1].
7. Context and competing perspectives
News outlets and scholarly observers report competing narratives: plaintiffs and investigative journalists describe a pattern of misconduct and failures of redress, while Trump and his lawyers deny allegations and frame adverse rulings as politically motivated [2] [7] [5]. The record — a mix of jury verdicts, dropped suits, settlements and contested appeals — supports neither a simple label of universal guilt nor a clean slate of exoneration; rather it shows legal outcomes that vary case by case [1] [3] [5].
Limitations: this account uses only the supplied reporting; available sources do not mention every claim alleged in public discourse, nor do they provide final appellate dispositions for all matters discussed above [1] [4].