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What is the status and outcome of each sexual assault lawsuit brought against Donald Trump?
Executive summary
Two high‑profile civil cases tied to E. Jean Carroll are the clearest example among the sexual‑assault lawsuits involving Donald Trump: juries awarded Carroll a combined total in the millions — notably a $5 million award for sexual abuse and defamation that an appeals court upheld in December 2024 [1] [2] [3] — and separate proceedings produced an $83.3 million defamation judgment that has also been subject to appellate review [4] [5]. Available sources do not comprehensively list all 25+ women who have accused Trump or detail the status/outcome of every individual civil claim beyond those reported [6].
1. The E. Jean Carroll cases: two federal trials, large awards
E. Jean Carroll pursued two related civil suits: an initial defamation suit filed in 2019 and a second lawsuit that added a sexual‑assault/battery claim under New York’s Adult Survivors Act; the disputes culminated in jury findings that Trump sexually abused Carroll and defamed her, resulting in a $5 million award that covered both sexual abuse and defamation components (jurors split the $5 million between $2.02 million for sexual assault and $2.98 million for defamation) [1] [7] [3]. A later jury in related proceedings returned an $83.3 million defamation judgment tied to other statements, which attracted its own appeals [4] [5].
2. Appeals and Supreme Court bids: verdicts upheld then challenged
A three‑judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the $5 million federal verdict in December 2024, rejecting Trump’s arguments that trial rulings (including allowing testimony from other women) were improper [2] [3] [8]. Following those appeals‑court rulings, Trump filed petitions seeking Supreme Court review of the Carroll verdicts; news reports in late 2025 indicate he asked the high court to hear his appeal [9] [10] [8]. The appeals history shows courts have repeatedly considered — and so far upheld — key trial rulings in Carroll’s favor [2] [3] [7].
3. What the juries found — sexual abuse, not criminal rape
The federal juries did not find Trump guilty of criminal rape as defined under New York’s penal code but did find by civil standards that he sexually abused Carroll; reporting repeatedly notes jurors stopped short of finding rape while concluding unlawful sexual contact occurred and that Trump’s public denials amounted to defamation [11] [12] [7]. The distinction matters legally (criminal vs. civil standards) and has been central to appeals and public argumentation about what the verdicts mean [12] [7].
4. Damages: figures and aggregation differ across reports
Coverage cites multiple damage figures: the May 2023 federal verdict awarding Carroll $5 million for sexual abuse/defamation [1] [2], and a separately reported $83.3 million award in another defamation proceeding that was later the subject of appellate action [4] [5]. Some summaries combine outcomes to describe “total” awards to Carroll — for example, Wikipedia notes $88.3 million in awards across related suits — but that aggregation and its status on appeal vary by report [13].
5. Broader catalogue of allegations and civil suits: partial and unsettled
Donald Trump has been publicly accused of sexual misconduct by many women (news summaries and encyclopedic entries cite “at least 25”), and several brought civil claims at different times; some suits were withdrawn or settled (for example, a suit tied to Houraney was withdrawn after a settlement), and others were dismissed — but the provided sources do not itemize every case’s final disposition in a single authoritative list [6]. Available sources do not mention the outcome of every individual civil action beyond the high‑profile Carroll litigation and a few named settlements/dismissals [6].
6. Competing narratives and political context
Trump and his lawyers characterize Carroll’s claims as false and politically motivated and argue trial judges erred by admitting testimony from other accusers and certain evidence; courts at the appellate level have so far rejected those arguments in the Carroll matters [9] [3] [7]. Supporters of Carroll’s position — including juries and appellate panels that upheld evidence rulings — view the findings as validation of her account and legally sufficient to award damages [2] [3].
7. Limitations, open questions, and what reporting doesn’t say
The available reporting concentrates on Carroll’s cases because of their jury verdicts and large dollar awards; it does not provide a complete, up‑to‑date ledger of every sexual‑assault civil claim ever filed against Trump, nor does it substitute for court dockets if one seeks granular status on lesser‑reported suits [6]. Where sources disagree (aggregate totals, timing of appeals, or whether awards are final), readers should consult original court opinions and dockets cited in news items for precise legal posture [14] [3].
If you want, I can assemble a timeline of the Carroll cases with key dates and links to the trial and appeals opinions cited in these reports.