What is the current status of the E. Jean Carroll defamation case against Donald Trump?
Executive summary
A federal jury awarded E. Jean Carroll $5 million in 2023 for sexual abuse and initial defamation findings and a separate New York jury ordered an additional $83.3 million in January 2024 for later defamatory statements; federal courts have since sustained those awards and Donald Trump is pursuing further appeals, including a Supreme Court filing in November 2025 [1] [2] [3] [4]. The Second Circuit affirmed the $83.3 million defamation judgment as reasonable and rejected several of Trump’s arguments, while Trump has advanced constitutional and evidentiary challenges on appeal and to the Supreme Court [5] [6] [7] [4].
1. The twin verdicts that set the stage
E. Jean Carroll first prevailed in May 2023 when a federal jury found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing her in the 1990s and for defaming her, awarding $5 million in damages, and that finding became the factual backdrop for a second trial focused on damages for later defamatory remarks [1] [6]. In January 2024, a separate jury specifically tasked with setting damages for continued defamatory conduct awarded Carroll $83.3 million — a sum composed of compensatory and punitive elements designed to punish and deter further statements [2] [3].
2. Appeals, rulings and the Second Circuit’s treatment
The Second Circuit reviewed the appeals and — in a comprehensive opinion — affirmed the larger $83.3 million award, calling the jury’s damages “fair and reasonable” and noting the reprehensibility of the conduct in question, which courts found supported significant punitive damages [5]. That appeals panel also upheld the core findings from the district court trial, concluding that any claimed trial errors either lacked merit or were harmless and therefore did not warrant overturning the awards [6]. Lower-court rulings and an overseeing judge likewise declined to reduce the judgment in the face of arguments raised by Trump’s lawyers [3] [6].
3. Legal arguments from both sides and what’s still contested
Trump’s legal team has advanced multiple lines of attack: they argue evidentiary errors — chiefly the admission of testimony from other accusers — and constitutional defenses such as due process and First Amendment concerns tied to punitive damages and public-comment responses, and they have asked higher courts to revisit those rulings [7] [8]. Carroll’s side and the courts have emphasized the record of repeated public statements by Trump that allegedly amplified threats against Carroll and harmed her career, supporting the magnitude of the awards [5] [9]. The Department of Justice’s earlier changing positions about whether some statements were within the scope of presidential duties also factored into litigation strategy, though the Second Circuit’s rulings addressed immunity claims and related defenses [10] [6].
4. Supreme Court petition and the immediate procedural posture
President Trump filed a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court in November 2025 seeking review of the $5 million verdict and raising broader constitutional and evidentiary claims; separate challenges to the $83.3 million award were litigated through the Second Circuit and stayed subject to appeal rights, with courts rejecting some procedural relief such as bond reductions [4] [10] [5]. As of the latest reporting in these sources, the Supreme Court had been asked to take up at least the $5 million judgment and Trump continued to press on appellate fronts for relief from the combined judgments [4] [11]. The record in the reporting does not include a final Supreme Court decision or other terminal appellate resolution as of the latest filings cited here, so ultimate finality depends on what the high court does next [4] [11].
5. What to watch next — practical and political consequences
If the Supreme Court declines review, the consolidated judgments — including the affirmed $83.3 million — would be collectible subject to post-judgment procedures and any remaining procedural stays; if the Court grants review, the case could be narrowed to immunity, evidentiary or constitutional issues with national implications for presidential speech and civil-liability rules [5] [4]. Meanwhile, Trump’s appeals emphasize potential overreach in punitive awards and contested evidentiary rulings, giving him avenues to seek reduction or reversal, while Carroll’s team points to sustained findings of harm, threats she received, and reputational injuries as justifications for the damage awards [7] [5]. The reporting available through late 2025 documents active appellate litigation but does not show a final Supreme Court disposition, leaving the immediate status as: major judgments affirmed in the Second Circuit and additional appeals pending at the Supreme Court level [5] [4].