Which accusers sued Donald Trump and what were the outcomes of those cases through 2025?
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Executive summary
Multiple women and several organizations have sued Donald Trump in high‑profile civil cases through 2025, producing mixed outcomes: E. Jean Carroll secured a $5 million judgment for defamation and sexual abuse upheld on appeal [1], other accusers’ claims produced settlements, dismissals or counter‑litigation [1] [2], and Trump has both sued and been sanctioned in separate politically charged suits including a nearly $1 million penalty for a frivolous Clinton‑related lawsuit [3] [4]. Available sources do not provide a complete, itemized list through 2025 of every accuser who sued Trump and the outcome of each case; reporting highlights a handful of the most consequential suits and rulings [1] [2] [5].
1. The Carroll case: a landmark civil win that stuck on appeal
E. Jean Carroll sued Trump over a rape allegation and later for defamation; a jury in earlier proceedings found in her favor and awarded $5 million, a judgment that a judge described as reflecting that Carroll’s "rape" claim was "substantially true" — that civil judgment was upheld on appeal by the Second Circuit on December 30, 2024, and again on June 13, 2025 [1]. That ruling is the clearest documented instance in available sources of an accuser winning money damages against Trump for sexual misconduct and defamation [1].
2. Other sexual‑misconduct allegations: many claims, few uniform legal endings
Reporting documents at least 25 women accusing Trump of rape, sexual assault or harassment across decades, and lists several who have pursued legal claims — some resolved, some withdrawn or settled — but the outcomes are fragmented: some suits were settled (for example, earlier civil disputes like those involving Jill Harth and Summer Zervos were resolved or withdrawn), while other matters remain in litigation or were not chronicled in the provided material [1] [2]. Available sources do not mention the full roster of plaintiffs or give outcomes for each case through 2025 [1] [2].
3. Defamation and media‑related litigation: Trump as plaintiff and defendant
Since 2024–2025 Trump has both sued news organizations and been sued by them; some outlets settled with Trump (for example ABC and Disney/ABC reached a settlement tied to defamation claims, including donations to his library and other payments) while he has filed high‑value defamation suits against the Wall Street Journal and others seeking billions [6] [2]. These cases mix libel claims by Trump with countersuits or defenses from media organizations; outcomes have included out‑of‑court settlements and ongoing litigation as of 2025 [6] [2].
4. Political and “frivolous” suits: sanctions and counters from the courts
Trump’s aggressive use of litigation has drawn pushback: a federal appeals court upheld nearly $1 million in sanctions against Trump and his former lawyer Alina Habba for filing what judges called a “frivolous” lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, James Comey and others — the court condemned the suit as filed in bad faith and for an improper purpose [3] [4]. That ruling shows courts imposing penalties on Trump for misuse of the judicial process as well as deciding merits of disputes [3] [4].
5. Jan. 6 and civil suits by injured parties: executive‑privilege fights, not typical accuser suits
Separate from sexual‑misconduct and defamation cases, civil suits tied to Jan. 6 — brought by police officers and others injured in the Capitol riot — accuse Trump of stoking violence; Trump sought to assert executive privilege to shield records in that long‑running litigation, and plaintiffs have complained about delays getting records from the archives [7]. Those are not “accuser” suits in the same sense as personal‑conduct claims, but they are high‑stakes civil actions naming Trump as defendant [7].
6. Big picture: dispersed litigation, politicized narratives, and reporting gaps
Available coverage through these sources highlights a pattern: Trump is both defendant in many civil suits (sexual‑misconduct, defamation, Jan. 6‑related litigation) and plaintiff in many media or politically framed lawsuits; some accusers won judgments (Carroll), some disputes settled, others were dismissed or withdrawn — and courts have sanctioned frivolous filings against him [1] [6] [2] [4]. The record in these sources is incomplete: they do not enumerate every accuser who sued Trump through 2025 nor provide final outcomes for every case [1] [2].
Limitations and competing perspectives: reporting details vary by outlet and case; outlets emphasize different stakes — victim redress in Carroll’s case [1], press‑freedom concerns when media settle [6], and judicial restraint when sanctions are imposed [4]. For a complete, itemized ledger of every accuser and final disposition through 2025, the available sources do not provide that full list [1] [2] [5].