What specific incidents did E. Jean Carroll allege and when did they occur?
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Executive summary
E. Jean Carroll has alleged that Donald J. Trump sexually assaulted her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan in the mid‑1990s (specifically described in reporting as 1995–1996 or 1996). A federal jury in May 2023 found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and awarded $5 million; later rulings and appeals upheld related findings and larger defamation awards [1] [2] [3].
1. The core allegation: a dressing‑room assault in the mid‑1990s
Carroll’s central claim is that in the mid‑1990s she encountered Donald Trump at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan and that he sexually assaulted her in a dressing room; reporting and court documents commonly place the encounter in 1996 or “late 1995 or early 1996” [4] [2] [1]. Carroll first publicly detailed the allegation in 2019 and later pursued civil litigation that culminated in the 2023 trial verdict [2] [3].
2. What the 2023 jury found and how it framed the conduct
In May 2023 a New York jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll for the 1996 incident and awarded $5 million in damages; the jury rejected the narrower legal claim of rape but held him liable for a lesser degree of sexual abuse under the applicable standard [1] [2]. Subsequent court commentary by Judge Lewis Kaplan noted differences between common parlance and narrow statutory definitions of rape when describing aspects of the case [3].
3. Defamation claims tied to Carroll’s allegation
Carroll also accused Trump of defaming her when he publicly denied the incident after she went public. Separate proceedings produced additional verdicts: a January 2024 jury found Trump liable for defaming Carroll for remarks after her 2019 allegation and awarded $83.3 million; appeals later addressed and in several instances upheld those awards or parts of the judgments [3] [5] [6].
4. Evidence and testimony presented at trial
Trial materials and appeals filings show Carroll’s allegation was supported in court by her testimony and by corroborating testimony the judge and appellate courts allowed, including testimony from two other women who described alleged past misconduct by Trump in different decades, and by a 2005 recording in which Trump discussed kissing and grabbing women without consent; Trump denied Carroll’s allegations throughout [4] [7] [8].
5. Timeline of litigation and appellate outcomes
After the May 2023 jury verdict finding Trump liable for sexual abuse, appeals followed. A three‑judge panel and later appellate actions reviewed evidentiary rulings and in December 2024 and mid‑2025 upheld aspects of the district court’s decisions and the $5 million award; Trump sought rehearing en banc and ultimately asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review [2] [6] [9]. Reporting through 2025 documents multiple affirmations and continued filings by Trump challenging the verdicts [9] [6].
6. How reporting dates and language vary across sources
Sources differ in phrasing—some say “mid‑1990s,” others specify 1996, and one account cites “late 1995 or early 1996.” Court records and reporting consistently locate the alleged incident at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan, in a dressing room [2] [4] [1]. Judicial characterizations (e.g., Judge Kaplan’s comments about the meaning of “rape” in common parlance versus statutory definitions) further complicate plain‑language summaries [3].
7. What available sources do not mention
Available sources do not mention contemporaneous police reports or an investigation tied to Carroll’s allegation; appellate briefs and media summaries note the absence of video or eyewitness evidence in some accounts but do not provide a police report document in the packet reviewed here [8] [4]. If you seek the full trial record or the exact dates Carroll gave in depositions, those specific primary documents are not included in the provided reporting.
8. Competing perspectives and implicit agendas
Court decisions and media accounts present competing frames: Carroll and her lawyers portray a longstanding allegation vindicated by civil juries; Trump and his lawyers call the claims false and politically motivated, arguing evidentiary rulings were improper and calling the trials part of politicized “witch hunts” [9] [10]. Appellate rulings have so far rejected many of Trump’s evidentiary challenges, but Trump continues to contest the judgments through higher courts [2] [6].
9. Bottom line for readers
The specific incident Carroll alleged is a sexual assault in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid‑1990s (commonly cited as 1996). Civil juries and subsequent appellate rulings have found Trump liable for sexual abuse and for defamation tied to his denials; those outcomes remain the record in the sources reviewed here, even as appeals and Supreme Court filings continue [1] [3] [6].