Porn star sues Trump’s lawyer for defamation
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 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.”
White House spokesman Raj Shah said, “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 US 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 February 13 statement by Cohen that she said hurt her reputation. REUTERS
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