Porn star sues Trump's personal lawyer for defamation

By Lisa Lambert and Makini Brice

 

FILE PHOTO: Adult-film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, poses for pictures at the end of her striptease show in Gossip Gentleman club in Long Island, New York, U.S., February 23, 2018. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Stormy Daniels sued Donald Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen on Monday for defamation, according to court documents, escalating a legal battle between the American president and the porn star that the White House was struggling to contain.

 

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, made the claim a day after her widely watched TV interview on "60 Minutes" on CBS. Daniels said she was threatened with violence to keep quiet about her alleged 2006 tryst with Trump.

 

At the White House, a spokesman in a briefing with reporters cast aspersions on her account. The White House has denied allegations that Trump had a sexual relationship with Daniels.

 

CBS Corp <CBS.N> said the show drew its biggest audience in more than eight years, with 21.3 million Americans tuning in, more than double the previous week's edition of "60 Minutes."

 

Presidential spokesman Raj Shah told the briefing, "The president doesn't believe any of the claims Ms. Daniels made in the interview last night were accurate."

 

Asked if Trump believed Daniels was threatened, Shah said, "No, he does not. ... There's nothing to corroborate her claim."

 

Daniels' "60 Minutes" appearance also drew a denial from the president's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, that he was involved in the alleged threat of violence against her.

 

Daniels originally sued Trump on March 6, saying he never signed an agreement for her to stay silent about what she called their "intimate" relationship. Monday's filing in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles amended the original lawsuit to say Daniels was defamed.

 

Her attorney, Michael Avenatti, said Cohen "meant to convey that Ms. Clifford is a liar, someone who should not be trusted, and that her claims about her relationship with Mr. Trump" were not true.

 

Daniels' defamation allegation was based on a Feb. 13 statement by Cohen that she said hurt her reputation.

 

The latest filing also said $130,000 Cohen paid Daniels in October 2016 just before the presidential election to secure her silence amounted to an illegal campaign contribution, and that the agreement should be declared void.

 

Cohen has said he paid Daniels out of his own pocket, but has not explained why or if Trump was aware of the payment.

 

In filings with the Justice Department and Federal Election Commission, watchdog groups have said the $130,000 may have exceeded campaign contribution limits, violating U.S. law. Cohen has denied this.

 

California attorney Michael Overing, who specializes in defamation law, said it would be difficult for Daniels to prevail on her defamation claim because she is a public figure.

 

To prove libel, she would have to show that a false statement was made with either reckless or purposeful disregard for the truth, Overing said.

 

Trump attorney Cohen's denial of involvement in the alleged threat against Daniels came in a "cease-and-desist" letter sent to Avenatti shortly after "60 Minutes" aired that demanded a retraction and an apology. A copy of the letter was seen by Reuters on Monday.

 

The letter said, "Mr. Cohen had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with any such person or incident, and does not even believe that any such person exists, or that such incident ever occurred."

 

Daniels said the threat of harm was made by a stranger in a Las Vegas parking lot in 2011.

 

Avenatti said on NBC on Monday that the man who threatened her while she was with her infant daughter was not Cohen, but "had to be someone that is related to Mr. Trump or Mr. Cohen."

 

Last week CNN interviewed former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who described a 10-month affair with Trump starting in 2006.

 

Trump was married to his wife, Melania, during both alleged relationships. In addition to denying Trump had sex with Daniels, the White House has said he denies having an affair with McDougal.

 

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert and Makini Brice; Additional reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-03-27

She should sue him for defamation here, doesn't even have to be true.

 

A cat fight between a porn star and the American President. And the porn star is the more credible actor.

 

 

Donny boy likes getting spanked by a magazine with his face on the cover.

 

 

I LOVE this story!

 

 

39 minutes ago, webfact said:

The White House has denied allegations that Trump had a sexual relationship with Daniels.

I didn't do it, nobody saw me do it, there's no way you can prove anything!

 

 

Edited March 26, 20188 yr by halloween

She is starting the suit with a huge credibility gap.  Defamation in the West isn't like defamation here in the LOS.  She'd have better luck if she was Thai.

I'm just wondering how many sausages for cash does it take to graduate from prostitute to pornstar?

Inflammatory post removed.

She and her , obviously competent legal team, are just using the Trump playbook

 

Threaten lot's of law suits and get everyone "scared" so they will fold, unfortunately that only works in business, where there isn't a lot of publicity, not so much in the court of public opinion 

23 minutes ago, connda said:

She is starting the suit with a huge credibility gap.  Defamation in the West isn't like defamation here in the LOS.  She'd have better luck if she was Thai.

Yes, credibility gap, she is much more believable than the Trump camp.

There is something quite off about Trump.  How could you sleep with someone who reminds you of your daughter:

 

Why did Trump allegedly tell both Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal they remind him of his daughter?

Donald Trump’s alleged extramarital affairs before he became president have been big news recently, and there’s one common thread in both allegations: The now-president reportedly told women he wanted to sleep with that they reminded him of his daughter.

First, CNN aired an interview with Karen McDougal, a former Playbοy model who claims that she had a 10-month affair with Trump in 2006. During that time, McDougal says Trump compared her with his daughter, Ivanka Trump.

 

 

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/trump-allegedly-tell-stormy-daniels-karen-mcdougal-remind-daughter-163758867.html

 

It also lends some credibility since both are saying the same sort of things.   The comparison to his daughter and remarks about Melania sleeping in a separate room.  That's also reported in other sources.   

Cracks in the base... 

 

Edited March 27, 20188 yr by sfokevin

is there a video or photo that can serve evidence that what she claims really happened? first, it was an alleged affair. then she said she may not have had sex with him. now she had sex with him. does one time constitute an affair? it would have been easier for her to say they did on several occasions. how can she prove all the claims she's making?

2 hours ago, Credo said:

There is something quite off about Trump.  How could you sleep with someone who reminds you of your daughter:

 

Why did Trump allegedly tell both Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal they remind him of his daughter?

Donald Trump’s alleged extramarital affairs before he became president have been big news recently, and there’s one common thread in both allegations: The now-president reportedly told women he wanted to sleep with that they reminded him of his daughter.

First, CNN aired an interview with Karen McDougal, a former Playbοy model who claims that she had a 10-month affair with Trump in 2006. During that time, McDougal says Trump compared her with his daughter, Ivanka Trump.

 

 

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/trump-allegedly-tell-stormy-daniels-karen-mcdougal-remind-daughter-163758867.html

 

It also lends some credibility since both are saying the same sort of things.   The comparison to his daughter and remarks about Melania sleeping in a separate room.  That's also reported in other sources.   

 

Leaving aside everything else about Trump...

 

... this is both creepy and icky.

 

 

1 hour ago, irwinfc said:

is there a video or photo that can serve evidence that what she claims really happened? first, it was an alleged affair. then she said she may not have had sex with him. now she had sex with him. does one time constitute an affair? it would have been easier for her to say they did on several occasions. how can she prove all the claims she's making?

Geez man, have you not been following this saga?  Why would Trump and/or his lawyer pay the woman $130,000 to keep quiet?  Quiet about what?  Something that never happened?  I can never understand the brain of a Trump supporter. 

Who cares

8 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Who cares

Clearly not you.

 

It is nothing to do with sex with a porn star. It is the lying, cheating, bullying, threatening and potential criminal activity involving funding, it is the fact that the President paints himself whiter than white and he is not. He is not a role model for family or personal behaviour and he does not deserve to hold the office. He has called these women liars and cheats yet it is him that is the liar. he is happy to ruin these women to save his own sorry ass. 

 

That is what we care about.

Edited March 27, 20188 yr by Andaman Al

10 minutes ago, Andaman Al said:

Clearly not you.

 

It is nothing to do with sex with a porn star. It is the lying, cheating, bullying, threatening and potential criminal activity involving funding, it is the fact that the President paints himself whiter than white and he is not. He is not a role model for family or personal behaviour and he does not deserve to hold the office. He has called these women liars and cheats yet it is him that is the liar. he is happy to ruin these women to save his own sorry ass. 

 

That is what we care about.

It's all really about lawyers and money.

One of those two I have no time for.

More important things for the USA to worry about nowadays.

Sack the lawyer and ignore the 'adult movie' star.

5 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Sack the lawyer and ignore the 'adult movie' star.

You have to chop the snakes head off. Sack Trump and ignore the adult movie star and I am with you.

5 minutes ago, Andaman Al said:

You have to chop the snakes head off. Sack Trump and ignore the adult movie star and I am with you.

I could go with that. Just keep the tarrifs on China.??

Edited March 27, 20188 yr by overherebc

the pot is calling the kettle black.  Trumpy sure knows how to pick them

1 hour ago, Berkshire said:

Geez man, have you not been following this saga?  Why would Trump and/or his lawyer pay the woman $130,000 to keep quiet?  Quiet about what?  Something that never happened?  I can never understand the brain of a Trump supporter. 

you must be a genius to infer that i support trump. i do support reasoning. i could tip a stripper a million bucks for a job well done and tell her to be quiet about it, while signing a NDA to make sure she keeps her word. by your reasoning, i'm already guilty of having an affair with her. what's your evidence that something happened between me and the stripper? you may speculate about my motive for paying her to keep quiet, but again where's your proof that something happened? you say you can't understand the brain of a trump supporter... it's clear how you can't.

Men with money and high status sleep around because they have options.  Welcome to planet Earth, it's only been going on since Jesus was a baby.

 

At this point, I only care about results from politicians (fulfilling campaign promises) and not their so called "character".  It's hilarious the media holds up Mitt Romney and John McCain as "honorable" men.  Both these guys are neck deep in shit like this but it never gets covered, to say nothing of the fact that they are RINOS.

 

Same deal with Obama, but the press paid no attention.  I wonder why?

1 minute ago, irwinfc said:

you must be a genius to infer that i support trump. i do support reasoning. i could tip a stripper a million bucks for a job well done and tell her to be quiet about it, while signing a NDA to make sure she keeps her word. by your reasoning, i'm already guilty of having an affair with her. what's your evidence that something happened between me and the stripper? you may speculate about my motive for paying her to keep quiet, but again where's your proof that something happened? you say you can't understand the brain of a trump supporter... it's clear how you can't.

????  You keep bringing up "affair," but that's not the point.  Trump had sex with a porn star while still married to his 3rd wife.  Doesn't matter if that constitutes an affair or not.  And it's for this reason that he would shell out that kind of hush money.  If your premise is correct, then any women who's ever met Trump can claim they had sex with him...and his lawyer would pony up $130,000 to every one of them?  That's what Trump/Cohen et al are trying to convince the public.  Clearly, some people are buying that bull.

3 hours ago, irwinfc said:

is there a video or photo that can serve evidence that what she claims really happened? first, it was an alleged affair. then she said she may not have had sex with him. now she had sex with him. does one time constitute an affair? it would have been easier for her to say they did on several occasions. how can she prove all the claims she's making?

 

14 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

You keep bringing up "affair," but that's not the point. 

affair/sex whatever. liberals kept on saying affair before, now it's just one-time sex. call it whatever you want. it's irrelevant.

 

14 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

Trump had sex with a porn star while still married to his 3rd wife.

are you an expert on morality? a US president a while back did something worse WHILE married and POTUS. maybe you should call out all men who had sex with another woman while married to their third wife and wait until they become POTUS. that should be a handful of mud to sling their way.

 

14 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

And it's for this reason that he would shell out that kind of hush money.

again, you can speculate any motive you can cook up. how can you prove that something happened between them? where's the solid evidence? it's a really simple question.

 

14 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

and his lawyer would pony up $130,000 to every one of them?

maybe. maybe not. evidently, cohen can afford it.

:yawn:

the smear machinery in full swing over something totally irrelevant.

 

4 minutes ago, irwinfc said:

affair/sex whatever. liberals kept on saying affair before, now it's just one-time sex. call it whatever you want. it's irrelevant.

 

are you an expert on morality? a US president a while back did something worse WHILE married and POTUS. maybe you should call out all men who had sex with another woman while married to their third wife and wait until they become POTUS. that should be a handful of mud to sling their way.

 

again, you can speculate any motive you can cook up. how can you prove that something happened between them? where's the solid evidence? it's a really simple question.

 

maybe. maybe not. evidently, cohen can afford it.

Lordy.  So the only way you will believe that Trump did the nasty with Stormy is if there was "solid evidence."  You mean like video?  Photos?  Sperm sample?  I would think the $130k would be enough evidence...but this tells me that you wouldn't believe it even if there were video evidence.  "Trump says that's not him, it just looks like him.  And I believe Trump!"  Whatever.

Just think how much sex $130,000 USA dollars would buy you in Pattaya. And no lawsuit.  ?

6 hours ago, Credo said:

How could you sleep with someone who reminds you of your daughter

Apparently, For Trump, that’s a feature, not a bug.

4 hours ago, overherebc said:

Who cares

 

Dont go away mad ( just go away ).

 

- Motley Crüe