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What are the major documented sexual misconduct allegations against Donald Trump and their timelines?
Executive summary
Major public reporting and court rulings document dozens of sexual‑misconduct allegations against Donald Trump spanning from the 1970s/1980s through the 2010s; one civil jury found him liable in 2023 for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in 1996 and awarded $5 million (later additional damages were ordered) [1] [2]. News outlets and long-form investigations list roughly two dozen to more than 40 women who have accused him of misconduct, with summaries and timelines published by The Guardian, Business Insider, AP, PBS and others [3] [4] [1] [5].
1. The headline legal milestone: E. Jean Carroll’s civil verdict and subsequent awards
E. Jean Carroll publicly accused Trump in 2019 of sexually assaulting her in late 1995 or early 1996; a New York jury in May 2023 found Trump liable for sexually abusing her (not criminally convicted) and awarded $5 million, and later rulings and calculations led to additional damages that are the subject of appeals [1] [2] [6]. Reporting and court documents tie the Carroll claims to a defamation suit she filed after Trump publicly denied the allegation, and federal and state proceedings produced the jury finding of liability for sexual abuse [2] [1].
2. The broader tally: dozens of women, multiple timelines in public reporting
Mainstream compilations and investigative books report dozens of accusers across decades—Business Insider counted at least 26 women by 2023, The Guardian published timelines of allegations between the 1980s and 2013, and longer lists in subsequent years pushed the public total higher, with some outlets noting roughly 27–40+ complainants depending on inclusion criteria [4] [3] [7] [8]. These lists include allegations ranging from unwanted kissing and groping to claims of attempted rape and rape; Trump has broadly denied all allegations, describing them as politically motivated or false [4] [3].
3. Earlier, recurring names and episodes most often cited in timelines
Journalistic timelines repeatedly highlight similar incidents and names: Ivana Trump’s rape claim surfaced in divorce proceedings in the early 1990s but she later recanted that allegation; Jill Harth alleged groping and filed a 1997 lawsuit she later dropped after settling a breach‑of‑contract claim; several former models and pageant contestants reported groping or voyeuristic behavior in the 1980s and 1990s [6] [9] [10]. Reports also cite an October 2016 surge in public allegations following the Access Hollywood tape, after which many women went on record with stories stretching back decades [10] [4].
4. Reporting sources, methodology differences and why counts vary
Different outlets use different inclusion rules—some lists include allegations of harassment and non‑consensual touching, others include broader claims of inappropriate behavior or accounts reported in books; investigative compendia like the book All the President’s Women added dozens of previously unpublished accounts, which expanded totals cited by media [11] [6]. Business Insider, The Guardian and BBC each compiled lists but emphasize that counts depend on whether one includes allegations that were later recanted, settled, withdrawn, or reported secondhand [4] [3] [12].
5. Criminal charges versus civil findings: what reporting shows
Available reporting notes that Trump has not been criminally charged for sexual misconduct in the matters summarized here, while civil litigation produced the Carroll liability finding and monetary awards; outlets explicitly state that the Carroll result was a civil jury finding of liability for sexual abuse, not a criminal conviction [7] [1]. Some sources emphasize that other claims led to civil suits that were settled, withdrawn, or dismissed, and that criminal prosecution did not follow in these publicized cases [6] [7].
6. Recent additions and ongoing disputes in the public record
Even after 2019–2023 high‑profile coverage, new allegations and public accounts continued to appear through 2024, such as a reported 1993 groping allegation by Stacey Williams reported in 2024; media summaries note the evolving total of accusers and that Trump was appealing Carroll‑related damage awards [6] [7]. Reporting also highlights Trump’s consistent denials and public strategy of calling allegations politically motivated; appeals and further litigation mean some judgments and damage calculations remain contested [6] [5].
7. Limitations, open questions and what’s not in these sources
Available sources catalog many allegations and legal outcomes but differ on which incidents they list and how they classify them [3] [4]. Specifics about each allegation—dates, contemporaneous complaints to authorities, or forensic evidence—are not uniformly available across the reporting cited here; some claims were later recanted or withdrawn [6] [10]. If you want a single, date‑ordered list with every named accuser and the outcome of each claim, available sources do not provide a single canonical table covering every entry with identical inclusion criteria [3] [4].
If you’d like, I can produce a consolidated, date‑ordered timeline synthesizing the major, repeatedly cited allegations (names, alleged years, and legal outcomes) using only the items and dates included in these sources.