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What other sexual misconduct lawsuits have been filed against Donald Trump?
Executive summary
Multiple civil lawsuits and many public accusations of sexual misconduct involving Donald Trump have been reported in news outlets and compilations: E. Jean Carroll’s related civil suits produced jury findings and financial awards — a $5 million verdict in May 2023 and a later $83.3 million award in January 2024 — both now the subject of appeals and further litigation [1] [2] [3]. Beyond Carroll, reporting and timelines cite earlier suits or claims involving Ivana Trump, Jill Harth and Summer Zervos, plus a broader list of dozens of women who have publicly accused Trump of unwanted sexual contact [4] [5] [6].
1. The headline case: E. Jean Carroll’s civil suits and appeals
E. Jean Carroll sued Donald Trump alleging a 1990s sexual assault and later defamation after he publicly denied her claim; a federal jury found him liable for sexually abusing Carroll and for defamation and awarded $5 million in May 2023, with an additional $83.3 million judgment entering later proceedings — and Trump has appealed and asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review aspects of those rulings [1] [2] [3] [7]. Reporting notes that Carroll’s litigation has included two related suits and that parts of the cases remain under appeal [8].
2. Earlier lawsuits named in reporting: Ivana, Jill Harth, Summer Zervos
Public timelines and summaries list several earlier legal claims: Ivana Trump’s 1990 divorce filings included an allegation she later recanted, businesswoman Jill Harth brought a 1997 lawsuit alleging breach of contract and sexual harassment that was later resolved with settlement elements and dropped claims, and former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos pursued a misconduct claim and later a defamation suit after Trump called her account false [4]. The Guardian’s timeline also recounts Harth’s allegations of forcible kissing and groping in her 1997 filing and notes she later settled a separate claim [5].
3. Broad compilations: dozens of accusers and journalistic lists
Several outlets have compiled lists of women who accused Trump of a range of misconduct going back to the 1970s; Business Insider and other summaries say at least 26–28 women have made allegations ranging from unwanted kissing and groping to claims of rape, and independent timelines catalog these claims to provide context for the Carroll litigation [6] [4] [5]. These compilations are journalistic aggregations, not court adjudications of each allegation [6] [5].
4. Other filed suits tied to Epstein-era materials and social-media resurfacing
News reports note that some lawsuits connecting Trump (and Jeffrey Epstein) to alleged incidents were filed or circulated years ago — for example, filings in 2016 that named Trump with Epstein in various complaints — and such filings have periodically reappeared in public discussion when related documents were unsealed [9]. Available sources do not provide a comprehensive catalog of every filing tied to those materials; they report specific examples and note resurfacing on social media [9].
5. How courts and reporters distinguish claims, settlements and verdicts
Reporting, timelines and legal summaries make clear distinctions: jury verdicts and monetary awards (as in Carroll’s case) differ from claims that were settled or withdrawn (as with Harth and some divorce-era statements by Ivana), and from journalistic allegations compiled from interviews (as in long-form books and lists) [1] [2] [5] [4]. Several pieces explicitly state where a case ended in settlement, withdrawal or a jury finding [5] [8].
6. Competing narratives and litigation strategy
Trump’s legal team has argued in appeals and petitions that evidence was insufficient in some trials and that procedural errors occurred; in the Carroll Supreme Court filing, for example, Trump’s attorneys urged reversal and contested the absence of eyewitness or video evidence and the timing of the allegation, while Carroll’s lawyers pointed to juried findings and corroborating pattern evidence [3]. At the same time, journalists compiling lists of accusers emphasize pattern and context across decades [6] [5].
7. Limitations in available reporting and what’s not covered
Available sources provided here are summaries, timelines and major case reports; they do not jointly supply a definitive, court-by-court inventory of every lawsuit ever filed against Trump for sexual misconduct. Specifics about many alleged incidents remain in journalistic accounts rather than court dockets in these sources, and comprehensive lists of every suit, dismissal, settlement or allegation are not contained in the cited documents [4] [6] [5]. Where a claim is not mentioned in these pieces, that omission should not be read as confirmation or denial — it is simply not found in current reporting provided [4] [6].
Bottom line: The most legally consequential litigation documented in these sources is E. Jean Carroll’s multi-part civil litigation (jury verdicts, monetary awards, and active appeals) while earlier suits or claims involving Ivana Trump, Jill Harth and Summer Zervos — and dozens of journalistically compiled allegations — provide broader context but vary in legal status from settled to withdrawn to adjudicated [1] [2] [4] [5] [6].