ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos have reached a settlement with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who filed a defamation lawsuit against them.
Trump initiated legal action after Stephanopoulos claimed that he had been found guilty of raping writer E. Jean Carroll. However, in 2023, a jury determined that Trump had sexually assaulted Carroll and defamed her but did not find him guilty of rape.
Under the terms of the settlement, ABC News will pay $15 million to a foundation linked to Trump and an additional $1 million to cover his legal fees. The network has also agreed to add a note of regret to the article on its website containing Stephanopoulos’s disputed remarks.
The agreement was reached following a federal judge’s order requiring Trump and Stephanopoulos to appear for depositions next week.
