Donald Trump has ended his remaining court fight against the $5 million verdict E. Jean Carroll won in 2023 for sexual abuse and defamation. The Second Circuit dismissed the appeal with prejudice, legal language meaning this particular courtroom door is not scheduled for another dramatic entrance.
The money, including interest from a court-controlled fund, had already been released after the Supreme Court declined to hear Trump's challenge.
The verdict is now final
A New York jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in a department-store dressing room in the 1990s and defaming her when he denied her account. The civil verdict awarded $5 million in damages.
Trump continued challenging the outcome through the federal appeals system. Ending the appeal does not amount to an admission; it means the judgment stands and this case's appellate path is closed.
A separate $83 million judgment remains contested
Carroll later won a much larger defamation award based on additional statements Trump made while president. That separate case remains active, so the legal franchise has not been cancelled—only one season has reached its finale.
Trump's lawyers have continued calling the cases politically motivated. Carroll's legal victories, however, came through civil juries, trial judges and appellate review rather than a campaign-stage vote.
Years of litigation can blur the basic fact beneath the motions: a jury heard the evidence and held Trump liable. The appeal is over. The docket, unlike cable television, occasionally does stop replaying the episode.
Facts first. Side-eye included.
DJF separates what is confirmed from what is claimed—and tells you why this particular mess is worth your time.
Dana Side-Eye
Receipts, Rumors & Internet NonsenseDana reads the fine print, checks the timeline, and keeps one eyebrow permanently raised. She covers viral claims, internet pile-ons, and suspiciously convenient explanations.
“Screenshots are forever. So is the side-eye.”