Which women have publicly accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct and what are the specifics of each allegation?
Executive summary
A large, documented group of women—counting at least two dozen named accusers in mainstream reporting—have publicly accused Donald Trump of a range of misconduct from non‑consensual kissing and groping to allegations that meet the legal definitions of rape; Trump has denied the claims and, in one civil case, was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation (E. Jean Carroll) [1][2]. Reporting and compilations disagree on exact totals (figures cited range from 16 to 69), but major outlets list roughly 26–27 named women whose allegations span the 1970s through the 2000s [3][4][5].
1. E. Jean Carroll — the civil finding and the dressing‑room assault allegation
Writer E. Jean Carroll publicly accused Trump of violently assaulting her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid‑1990s; she later sued for defamation after Trump denied the claim, and a New York jury in May 2023 found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming her, awarding damages—an outcome widely reported and litigated in multiple appeals [6][2].
2. Jessica Leeds, Rachel Crooks, Rachel (and other pageant‑related) accusers — groping and non‑consensual contact
Multiple women including Jessica Leeds and Rachel Crooks say Trump groped or kissed them without consent—Leeds alleges groping on a 1980s flight, and Crooks says Trump kissed her in 2005 when she worked at a real‑estate firm; similar claims from former pageant contestants and staff describe Trump entering dressing rooms or walking in on contestants [4][7][8].
3. Summer Zervos and the defamation suit over workplace encounters
Former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos accused Trump of unwanted sexual contact and later filed a defamation suit after Trump publicly called her allegations a hoax; her lawsuit alleged he disparaged her for telling her story, and she pursued state court remedies [3][8].
4. Jessica Drake, Kristin Anderson, Lisa Boyne and other nightclub/party allegations
Jessica Drake alleged that in 2006 Trump kissed her and two other women in his hotel suite without permission; Kristin Anderson has said Trump touched her through her underwear in a Manhattan club in the early 1990s; Lisa Boyne alleges group‑dinner incidents in which women were forced to walk on tables and had their skirts exposed [5][8][7].
5. Jill Harth and Ivana Trump — earlier public claims and divorce testimony
Businesswoman Jill Harth brought a 1997 lawsuit alleging breach of contract and sexual harassment, later settling part of the claims; Ivana Trump testified in a 1989 divorce deposition alleging rape during the marriage, a claim she later recanted publicly—both episodes predate the 2016 campaign but are part of the documented record [3][8].
6. Amy Dorris, Stacey Williams, Melinda “Mindy” McGillivray and newer allegations
Reporting in recent years expanded the roster: Amy Dorris, Stacey Williams and Melinda McGillivray are among women who have come forward with accounts ranging from alleged sexual assault in hotel suites and at social events to groping backstage at Mar‑a‑Lago; coverage notes these additions increased the public tally to mid‑20s and beyond [9][5][1].
7. Patterns, disputes, denials and counting differences
Major compilations (Time, Business Insider, The Guardian, PBS, ABC) catalog dozens of accusations but vary in methodology—some count allegations, some count women and some include unverified accounts—leading to divergent totals [6][1][10]. Trump and his campaign have broadly denied every allegation and characterized accusers as liars or politically motivated; at the same time, journalists and authors compiling the reports (including the book All the President’s Women) note corroborating witnesses in some cases and contradictory or recanted statements in others [3][10].
8. Legal outcomes and limits of available reporting
Except for Carroll’s civil verdict, most accusations have not resulted in criminal convictions; some accusers filed civil suits that were dropped or settled (e.g., Stacey Williams’ earlier case reportedly settled) and others pursued defamation claims tied to Trump’s public denials [5][2][3]. The available sources document allegations, denials and some litigation, but different outlets apply different standards of corroboration—readers should note those methodological differences when assessing the full roster [4][11].