Summer Zervos dropped her defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump on Friday, November 12. During Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, Zervos accused him of groping and kissing her against her will in a Beverly Hills hotel in 2007, while she was a contestant on the TV show Apprentice. She then filed a defamation suit against Trump in 2017, alleging that he had defamed her when he called her a "liar" and said her accusations were "totally made-up stuff" and "fake news."
A filing in Manhattan Supreme Court stated that the case against Trump was dismissed and discontinued with prejudice. The ruling simply means Zervos cannot file the same case in state court in the future. After four years of litigation, it was ruled that both parties were responsible for their own costs.
Summer Zervos' attorneys, Beth Wilkinson and Moira Penza, noted that "after five years, Ms. Zervos no longer wishes to litigate against the defendant and has secured the right to speak freely about her experience." "Zervos stands by the allegations in her complaint and has accepted no compensation."
'Donald Trump did nothing wrong'
Trump's attorney, Alina Habba, on the other hand, called Zervos' decision "prudent." "The facts unearthed in this matter made it abundantly clear that our client did nothing wrong," Habba said in an email to Reuters. Trump, in his statement, noted that it is "incredibly important to fight for the truth and justice." "Only victory can restore one's reputation!"
The discontinuation of Zervos' lawsuit against Trump means he will no longer be questioned under oath about her accusations. Trump was due to be deposed in a Manhattan court next month. Zervos' legal team informed that she had accepted no compensation from Trump. Trump's attorney also noted no compensation or legal fees was paid to Zervos.
Another defamation lawsuit
Former President Donald Trump is facing another defamation lawsuit at the hands of former Elle magazine columnist E Jean Carroll. Trump refuted her claims that he raped Carroll in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s. Carroll's lawyer, Julie Fink told US media Friday that her client had "no intention" of dropping her lawsuit. Meanwhile, Trump is seeking to defend himself by making the US government the defendant, not himself, claiming that he spoke about Carroll in his official capacity as president.
