Stephanie Clifford, who appears in pornographic films as “Stormy Daniels,” amended her lawsuit against Michael Cohen, one of President Donald Trump’s personal attorneys, to include a claim of defamation.
Lawyers for the porn star added the allegation to the lawsuit against Cohen one day after she appeared on CBS newsmagazine “60 Minutes,” arguing Cohen’s campaign against her inflicted emotional and professional damage.
“Both on its face, and because of the facts and circumstances known to persons who read or heard the statement, it was reasonably understood Mr. 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 is ‘something [that] isn’t true,'” the complaint reads. “Mr. Cohen’s statement exposed Mr. Clifford to hatred, contempt, ridicule, and shame and discouraged others from associating or dealing with her.”
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Cohen publicly denied Trump had an affair with Clifford in February 2018 and explained the accusation was potent enough to warrant corrective action. Clifford’s legal team alleges the statement in question was defamatory.
“Just because something isn’t true doesn’t mean that it can’t cause you harm or damage,” Cohen said. “I will always protect Mr. Trump.”
Clifford’s reputation and emotional heath has deteriorated as a result of the statement, the filing claims.
Clifford is currently suing Cohen in California state court, arguing the underlying NDA is not valid. In turn, the Trump team is trying to remove the case to federal court, where they may have a better chance of forcing the dispute into private arbitration. The contract requires all disputes relating to the NDA be resolved in secret proceedings.
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