Which other women publicly accused Donald Trump but did not file civil lawsuits, and where were those allegations reported?
Executive summary
A number of women publicly accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct without subsequently filing civil lawsuits; major news outlets compiled those accounts during and after the 2016 campaign, naming figures such as Jessica Drake, Rachel Crooks, Jessica Leeds, Melinda “Mindy” McGillivray and Stacey Williams among others [1] [2] [3] [4]. Contemporary reporting distinguishes between on-the-record public accusations covered by mainstream outlets and a smaller set of accusers who pursued formal litigation, a distinction reflected across Time, PBS, Business Insider and other compilations [2] [1] [3].
1. Public accusations that did not become civil suits — the short list reporters emphasized
Journalistic inventories made clear that several women went public with allegations but did not file civil suits: Jessica Drake publicly described unwanted kissing and touching in a news conference reported in October 2016 [1], Rachel Crooks told The New York Times in October 2016 that Trump kissed her without consent in 2005 as noted in PBS’s recap [1], Jessica Leeds publicly alleged groping on a flight in the 1980s and was included in Time’s roll call of accusers [2], and Melinda “Mindy” McGillivray told the Palm Beach Post and later appeared on Megyn Kelly’s program alleging groping backstage at Mar‑a‑Lago — coverage cited by Business Insider [3]. Stacey Williams’s 2024 allegation of forcible groping at Trump Tower was reported by outlets compiling lists of accusers, such as Women’s Agenda [4].
2. Where those allegations first appeared in reporting
Reporters and outlets that collected and published these on‑the‑record accusations include The New York Times (via PBS summaries) for Rachel Crooks [1], national broadcasts and news conferences for Jessica Drake’s October 2016 appearance [1], Time magazine and The Independent for Jessica Leeds’s account [2] [5], Business Insider and the Palm Beach Post for Melinda McGillivray’s statements and TV follow‑ups [3], and more recent compendia and election‑period coverage for Stacey Williams’s claim [4].
3. How major compilations treated the distinction between public accusations and lawsuits
Long-form and roundup pieces explicitly separated accusers who sued from those who only spoke publicly: Time and PBS produced chronological lists of women who “accused Trump of sexual misconduct on the record,” noting which claims were litigated and which were not [2] [1], while Business Insider assembled similar rollups and contextualized which allegations received corroboration or legal follow‑through [3]. Wikipedia and other aggregated sources likewise mark which allegations led to civil actions (for example, E. Jean Carroll and Summer Zervos) and which remained public statements [6] [7].
4. What the reporting does — and does not — tell readers about motives and corroboration
Reporting emphasized timing (many allegations surfaced after the 2005 Access Hollywood tape) and journalistic corroboration where available, while also noting that most public accusations did not turn into lawsuits; outlets like PBS, Time and Business Insider contextualized credibility and follow‑up differently, and some journalists warned readers about varying levels of corroboration across cases [1] [2] [3]. Those sources also document the handful of accusers who pursued legal remedies, making clear that many others chose not to sue or had not indicated plans to do so in the published accounts [1] [2].
5. Caveats, gaps and implicit agendas in the coverage
Aggregations of accusers vary in count and emphasis — some pieces count two dozen or more women while others cite higher tallies, and reporting sometimes reflects editorial choices about which incidents merited front‑page treatment or legal follow‑up [3] [8]. Sources differ in how they handle anonymous or withdrawn claims (for example, the “Jane Doe/Katie Johnson” lawsuits that were dismissed or withdrawn), and mainstream compilations acknowledge limits to confirmation when women did not pursue litigation or law enforcement reports [9] [1].
Conclusion
Contemporary mainstream reporting identified a set of on‑the‑record accusers who did not file civil suits — notably Jessica Drake, Rachel Crooks, Jessica Leeds, Melinda “Mindy” McGillivray and Stacey Williams — and those claims were reported across outlets including PBS (summarizing NYT reporting), Time, Business Insider, the Palm Beach Post and Women’s Agenda [1] [2] [3] [4]. Major compilations and timelines make the legal status of each allegation explicit, and readers should consult those original pieces for the granular details and sourcing for each accusation [2] [1].