What was the original filing date and court name for Katie Johnson's lawsuit against Donald J. Trump?

1. What the filings named and where they were lodged

The case commonly referred to as the “Katie Johnson” lawsuit appears on court-docket aggregators as Katie Johnson v. Donald J. Trump, given case number 5:16-cv-00797 and assigned in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Riverside); the CourtListener docket reflects a complaint filed by “Katie Johnson” naming Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey E. Epstein as defendants and notes assignment to Judge Dolly M. Gee ^[3]. An archived government docket copy of the case is also available, providing the court-level record for researchers ^[4].

2. Exact original filing date reported in contemporary coverage

Multiple media and later summaries date the first filing to April 2016. Newsweek explicitly states the lawsuit was “filed in federal court in Riverside, California, in April 2016” and that a judge dismissed the complaint in May of that year ^[1]. El País’ timeline likewise places the original California filing in April 2016 ^[2]. Smaller legal explainers and chronology pieces echo the April 2016 origin for the initial suit ^{[5] [6]}.

3. Subsequent procedural history that complicates the timeline

Reporting and analyses note a fragmented procedural history: after the April 2016 filing and a May dismissal, there were additional filings or attempts later in 2016 — versions refiled in June and a separate “Jane Doe” filing in September — some of which were withdrawn or voluntarily dismissed before progressing ^{[1] [7] [8]}. AllAboutLawyer summarizes this sequence, saying the suit was filed in June 2016, refiled in October 2016, then dropped in November 2016, and stresses the case closed without trial ^[5].

4. Anonymity, withdrawals, and why dates vary in reporting

The plaintiff used a pseudonym and multiple versions of complaints were filed and later withdrawn or dismissed; that procedural churn is the primary reason dates cited in different accounts vary. Newsweek, El País and other timelines note the use of pseudonyms (Katie Johnson / Jane Doe) and that some filings were dropped before litigation advanced, which produces multiple “filing” dates depending on whether reporters reference the initial April filing or later refilings ^{[1] [2] [5]}.

5. What the primary sources show and what they do not

The docket entry and archived court pages document the case number (5:16-cv-00797), the parties named in the complaint, and court assignment, supporting the claim of an April 2016 filing in the Central District of California ^{[3] [4]}. Available sources do not mention a definitive single “final” filing date beyond those reported; instead they show a pattern of initial April 2016 filing, dismissal in May 2016, and later refilings or related suits through 2016 that were withdrawn ^{[1] [5]}.

6. Conflicting accounts and how to read them

Some secondary summaries list June, September or October 2016 as filing dates for revised or separate complaints; others emphasize the April 2016 origin and May dismissal. For clarity: the earliest documented and widely reported filing date is April 2016 in federal court in Riverside (Central District of California), while later entries in 2016 reflect refilings or separate anonymous suits that were ultimately withdrawn or dismissed ^{[1] [5] [8]}.

7. Bottom line for a straightforward answer

If you want the original filing date and court name as reported in the contemporaneous record: the anonymous plaintiff filed the first complaint in April 2016 in federal court in Riverside, California — the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California — recorded under docket number 5:16-cv-00797 ^{[1] [3] [4]}.

Limitations: reporting and archived dockets show multiple related filings and withdrawals in 2016; different outlets sometimes cite later refilings rather than the initial April filing, which is why dates in summaries can disagree ^{[5] [1]}.