Trump to receive $15 million from ABC News in defamation case

ABC News has agreed to pay Donald Trump $15 million in defamation lawsuits after the anchor mistakenly claimed he was “responsible for rape.” The network is also set to issue a formal apology on its website.

ABC News has agreed to pay US President-elect Donald Trump $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit after the anchor mistakenly claimed he was “responsible for rape.” This is reported by the BBC, reports UNN.

Details

The lawsuit was filed on March 19 in the Southern District of Florida. It alleged that American TV host George Stephanopoulos made malicious and false statements during an interview with Congresswoman Nancy Mays on ABC's This Week program on March 10, 2024. In particular, Stephanopoulos stated that Trump had been convicted of rape, which in fact had not been the case, and asked Mays how she could support his candidacy.

We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to terminate the lawsuit on the terms set forth in the court documents

– an ABC News representative noted.

This statement concerned a civil case initiated by writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of rape. Trump's representatives said Stephanopoulos' comment was false, malicious and violated professional journalistic standards.

To avoid further legal proceedings, ABC News agreed to pay and publish a formal apology. In a statement to appear on its website, ABC News and George Stephanopoulos said they regret the statements they made.

Under the terms of the settlement, ABC News will not only make the payment but also publish a statement in a companion article to the March 10 interview by Sunday. The statement should state: “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret the statements made about President Donald J. Trump during George Stephanopoulos' interview with Congresswoman Nancy Mays on ABC's This Week on March 10, 2024.”