Trump's bid to appeal sex abuse verdict refused by Supreme Court

Donald Trump's appeal to overturn a $5m verdict finding him liable for sexually abusing and defaming a magazine columnist has been rejected by the US Supreme Court.

Justices refused to hear the president's appeal against a 2023 jury verdict in favour of ‌E Jean Carroll, which Trump had argued was the result of an unfair trial.

Carroll, a former advice columnist for Elle magazine, alleged that Trump raped her in the dressing room of a Manhattan department store in around 1996. Trump denies her claims.

The writer made her accusation public when an excerpt from her memoir was published in 2019.

The case that led to the $5m (£3.7m) verdict concerned social media posts shared by Trump in 2022, in which he claimed Carroll's accusation was a "hoax" and a "con job". "This woman is not my type!" he wrote.

Carroll then sued Trump in a Manhattan federal court and jurors decided in 2023 that Trump had sexually abused the writer and defamed her, awarding $5m in damages. They did not find Trump raped Carroll.

A Manhattan Court of Appeals upheld the verdict in 2024.

In a statement reacting to Monday's decision, Trump's legal team said: "The American People stand with President Trump as they demand an immediate end to all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded travesty of the Carroll Hoaxes.

"President Trump will keep winning against Liberal Lawfare, as he continues to focus on his mission to Make America Great Again."

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Trump's lawyers had argued Carroll's allegations were propped up by "highly inflammatory" evidentiary rulings.

Those included ones that allowed the testimony of two other women who accused Trump of sexual abuse decades ago. He has also denied their allegations.

A jury also awarded Carroll an additional $83.3m (£65.5m) after another defamation trial in 2024. Trump is also appealing that ruling, but it is not yet before the Supreme Court.

The president's justice department has launched a criminal investigation targeting Carroll, focused on whether ‌the columnist committed perjury in testimony tied to the two civil lawsuits she won against Trump.

(c) Sky News 2026: Trump's bid to appeal sex abuse verdict refused by Supreme Court