What is the full context and source of Jean Carroll saying "Rape is sexy"?
Executive summary
E. Jean Carroll’s remark that “rape is sexy” originates from a 2019 television interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN, where she said, in context, “I think most people think of rape as being sexy,” while discussing how rape is portrayed in culture and how the word “rape” carries sexual connotations [1] [2] [3]. That line has since been repeatedly excerpted and weaponized by opponents and by Donald Trump during his deposition and in public statements to suggest Carroll was glorifying sexual assault—an interpretation many outlets and legal filings say mischaracterizes her meaning [4] [5] [6].
1. The original source: a 2019 Anderson Cooper interview and what Carroll actually said
The phrase appears on air during a June 2019 CNN interview in which Carroll was describing her alleged 1990s assault and the cultural framing of rape; she prefaced the remark by distinguishing the violent harm she experienced from the sexualized connotations the word “rape” evokes, saying “I was not thrown on the ground and ravaged. The word ‘rape’ carries so many sexual connotations... I think most people think of rape as being sexy” [1] [2] [3]. Multiple transcripts and video reports confirm the line was spoken in response to whether she felt like a victim and as part of a broader point about media depictions, fantasies and the sexualization of violence [2] [3].
2. How that phrase was later used in litigation and by Donald Trump
During Carroll’s defamation litigation and related depositions, Trump and his attorneys repeatedly cited that interview and the “rape is sexy” excerpt to argue Carroll had said she enjoyed or romanticized rape; in a 2022–2023 deposition unsealed in January 2023 Trump testified that he believed Carroll “said rape was sexy” and used that to claim she “indicated that she loved it” [4] [5]. Business Insider, CNBC and other outlets reported Trump’s deposition testimony specifically invoking the Anderson Cooper clip as the basis for his claim [4] [5].
3. Media framing, selective clipping, and partisan amplification
Conservative and partisan outlets amplified the soundbite and treated it as evidence Carroll was out of touch or dishonest, with some headlines framing her comment as inexplicable or proof her allegations were false [7] [8] [9]. At the same time mainstream outlets and legal reporting highlighted the fuller interview context—that Carroll was critiquing the glamorization of rape in entertainment and describing common rape fantasies in culture—warning that the line was being taken out of context to discredit her [6] [3].
4. Courtroom relevance and judicial actions around the clip
Attorneys tried to use or block the Anderson Cooper interview in related trials: reports show Trump sought to introduce Carroll’s interview into proceedings to undermine her credibility, while a judge restricted the use of the clip at least in certain phases, with coverage noting that Trump’s team attempted to portray the remark as evidence Carroll did not view the incident as harmful [6]. Newsweek and other outlets explained judges and Carroll’s lawyers pushed back, saying opponents were misrepresenting her words [6].
5. Competing interpretations and limits of available reporting
There are two clear narratives in the record: Carroll and many mainstream reports say the remark was descriptive and critical—about cultural portrayals and fantasies—whereas Trump, his counsels and supporting media presented it as an admission she enjoyed assault [6] [4] [1]. The provided sources document the interview line, Trump’s deposition invoking it, and subsequent legal and media fights over its meaning; insofar as other motivations (political damage, media click incentives, or strategic courtroom use) are concerned, those are implied by who amplified the clip but full internal intent beyond what reporters and court filings state cannot be independently proven from these sources [6] [4] [7].