How many plaintiffs have accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct in civil cases and what are their allegations?

1. How many plaintiffs in civil cases are publicly documented — a disputed tally

Mainstream aggregations and timelines count roughly mid-to-high 20s of women who have made public accusations of sexual misconduct against Trump; Business Insider reported “at least 26” ^[1] and later reporting noted about 27 after additional public allegations surfaced ^[2]. Other outlets describe “dozens” of accusations going back decades and collect dozens of incidents in books and compilations ^{[5] [6]}. Different counts reflect whether reporters include unnamed plaintiffs, allegations collected in books, or only those who pursued civil suits or publicly filed complaints; sources disagree on a single definitive number ^{[1] [5] [6]}.

2. What kinds of allegations appear in the civil record and reporting

The publicly reported allegations span a spectrum: unwanted kissing and groping, forced kisses, grabbing of breasts or buttocks, and more serious claims of forcible sexual contact. Civil litigation and reporting single out episodes like E. Jean Carroll’s claim of an assault in a department‑store dressing room (which resulted in a civil finding of sexual abuse and defamation damages) and other plaintiffs’ claims of groping or attempted rape in earlier decades ^{[3] [4] [7]}. Journalistic compilations and books also include numerous accounts of harassment and inappropriate touching reported by former models, employees, and acquaintances ^{[6] [8]}.

3. The E. Jean Carroll case — a notable civil verdict and its limits

E. Jean Carroll sued Trump in related civil actions and a New York jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding damages ^[3]. Coverage emphasizes the civil — not criminal — nature of that result: the jury did not find him guilty in a criminal sense, and the legal finding was under New York civil standards (preponderance of evidence) with the jury not finding rape under the narrow statutory definition but finding sexual abuse ^{[3] [4]}.

4. Other named plaintiffs and the variety of legal paths

Some women pursued civil suits (e.g., Summer Zervos filed a defamation suit tied to her allegations), others publicly accused Trump without filing or later withdrew cases or settled; Jill Harth brought litigation in the 1990s that involved claims of groping and harassment but also settled other contract claims ^{[2] [9]}. Coverage notes instances of cases dismissed or withdrawn, and that not every public accusation resulted in a civil lawsuit ^{[7] [2]}.

5. Compilations, books and expanding lists — why totals change

Books such as All the President’s Women assembled dozens of additional allegations (cited as adding tens of incidents to earlier lists) and journalists have continued to surface new accounts, which is why counts increased in later reporting ^{[6] [5]}. Outlets that update timelines add new names as interviews are published, producing fluctuating totals ^{[4] [2]}.

6. Disagreements, denials and legal status noted in sources

Trump has broadly denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated; his representatives and lawyers have vigorously contested many claims in public statements and in court ^{[1] [3]}. Sources make clear there is a distinction between public accusations, civil liability (as in Carroll’s case), withdrawn suits, settled matters and allegations without accompanying litigation; reporting stresses these different legal outcomes ^{[3] [7]}.

7. What the provided sources do not settle

Available sources do not mention a single, authoritative, up‑to‑date roster that every outlet agrees on; counts vary by methodology and by whether unnamed or book‑collected allegations are included ^{[1] [5] [6]}. Sources also do not provide a consolidated list here of every plaintiff’s individual allegation with full legal disposition in one place — interested readers should consult the detailed timelines in The Guardian and the compilations in Business Insider, ABC News and PBS for named entries ^{[4] [1] [10] [7]}.

Bottom line: contemporary reporting and legal records document roughly 26–27 women publicly accusing Trump of sexual misconduct, with allegations ranging from unwanted kissing and groping to a civil finding of sexual abuse in E. Jean Carroll’s case; precise counts shift depending on which accusations (named, unnamed, book‑collected or litigated) reporters include ^{[1] [2] [3]}.