What is the current status of E. Jean Carroll's judgments against Donald Trump as of December 2025?
Executive summary
As of late 2025, two separate civil judgments in E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuits against Donald J. Trump stand affirmed by appeals courts and are under further challenge at the U.S. Supreme Court: a $5 million verdict finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation was affirmed by the 2nd U.S. Circuit and Trump has petitioned the Supreme Court to review that judgment [1] [2]. A separate $83.3 million defamation award was also upheld on appeal and remains part of Carroll’s enforced recovery efforts [3] [4].
1. A two-part legal victory: $5 million for abuse and defamation, $83.3 million for later defamation
Carroll’s litigation produced two distinct jury findings and awards. In May 2023 a Manhattan jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in the 1990s and for defaming her in 2022, awarding $5 million in combined compensatory and punitive damages [5] [6]. Separately, a later proceeding produced an $83.3 million defamation award tied to additional remarks Trump made; that larger award has been treated as a distinct judgment upheld on appeal [3] [4].
2. Appeals court actions: 2nd Circuit affirmed the $5 million verdict and rejected rehearing
A three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the $5 million jury verdict, concluding that the district court’s evidentiary rulings were within permissible bounds and that any potential errors were harmless; the panel’s mandate formally affirmed the judgment and started the clock for potential Supreme Court review [6] [1]. Trump sought en banc rehearing by the full 2nd Circuit, but that request was rejected in mid‑2025, leaving the panel’s affirmation in place [7] [6].
3. Supreme Court petition: Trump has asked the high court to weigh in
After the appeals-court mandate, Trump filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the $5 million judgment, arguing among other things that the trial judge made “indefensible evidentiary rulings” (including admitting testimony from other accusers and the Access Hollywood tape) and even raising presidential immunity and official‑act defenses relating to statements the government later said were made in an official capacity [2] [8] [7]. Multiple outlets reported that Trump formally asked the Supreme Court to hear the case in November 2025 [2] [4] [8]. There is no guarantee the Court will take the case; the high court decides whether to grant review [9].
4. The $83.3M award: separate appellate affirmation and continuing enforcement
The larger $83.3 million defamation award — tied to separate post‑trial statements and a different jury finding — was also upheld by a federal appeals court in 2025, with the panel finding the damages “fair and reasonable” [3]. News organizations have reported that both awards together total near $90 million in damages and that Carroll’s legal team has been pursuing collection and enforcement while appeals proceed [10] [3].
5. Competing narratives: legal error claims vs. jury verdicts
Trump’s legal team frames the appeals and Supreme Court petition as a challenge to trial procedure and evidentiary rulings, arguing jurors were improperly exposed to “propensity” evidence and inflammatory material such as the Access Hollywood tape [8] [9]. Carroll’s lawyers and several appeals-court decisions have rejected those contentions, with judges finding the district court’s decisions within the range of discretion and the jury’s damages reasonable [6] [3]. Media coverage reflects this split: reports describe Trump’s filings as seeking to overturn a unanimous jury outcome while also quoting the appeals rulings that sustained the verdicts [1] [2].
6. Practical status: judgments affirmed but subject to Supreme Court review and enforcement activity
Practically, both judgments have been affirmed by federal appellate panels and, as of late 2025, Trump has asked the Supreme Court to overturn at least the $5 million verdict; the Supreme Court’s decision whether to grant review remains pending and will determine the next legal posture [1] [2] [9]. Meanwhile, appellate mandates and enforcement actions mean Carroll can press to collect the awards unless a higher court stays enforcement — available sources do not mention whether courts have stayed collection pending the Supreme Court’s decision [1] [3].
Limitations: reporting in the provided sources covers appeals, mandates, and the November 2025 Supreme Court petition but does not specify the Supreme Court’s docket action or any post‑petition stays or collection rulings after those filings; available sources do not mention those later procedural steps [2] [1] [3].