President-elect Donald Trump’s defamation suit against ABC was formally dismissed after he reached a settlement worth $15 million with the network and its top anchor, George Stephanopoulos.
The lawsuit was dismissed in a stipulation filed Monday, signed by Chief U.S. District Judge Cecelia Altonaga, according to a document obtained by Fox News Digital.
“Having been advised of the settlement of the parties and otherwise being fully advised on the premises, it is hereby ordered and adjudged that the stipulation is approved,” the filing reads. “The above styled action is hereby dismissed with prejudice with each party to bear their own attorney’s fees and costs.”
The dismissal comes after both parties reached an agreement to avoid a costly trial.
According to the settlement, ABC News agreed to pay $15 million as a charitable contribution to a “Presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for Plaintiff, as Presidents of the United States of America have established in the past.” Additionally, the network will pay $1 million for Trump’s attorney fees.
Stephanopoulos and ABC News also had to issue statements of “regret” as an editor’s note at the bottom of a March 10, 2024, online article about comments made earlier this year that prompted Trump to file the defamation lawsuit.
The note reads, “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J. Trump made during an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”
Trump filed the defamation suit against Stephanopoulos after he asserted that Trump was found “liable for rape” in a civil case during a contentious interview with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., in March.
After playing a clip of Mace discussing being a victim of rape, Stephanopoulos asked her, “How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw?”
President-elected Donald Trump sued ABC News and George Stephanopoulos after the anchor repeatedly insisted he was found “liable for rape,” despite the fact that a jury actually determined Trump was liable for “sexual abuse,” which has a distinct definition under New York law. (Getty Images)
“You’ve endorsed Donald Trump for president. Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for rape and for defaming the victim of that rape,” Stephanopoulos said, alluding to the legal victory by Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll.
Stephanopoulos repeated that claim ten times during his spat with Mace, despite the fact that a jury actually determined Trump was liable for “sexual abuse,” which has a distinct definition under New York law.
After the federal jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse, but not rape, Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote in a later ruling that just because Carroll failed to prove rape “within the meaning of the New York Penal Law does not mean that she failed to prove that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape.’”
The settlement came after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid ordered Trump and Stephanopoulos to sit for depositions ahead of the Dec. 24 deadline for the defendants to file a motion for summary judgment, in order to avoid a trial.
President-elect Donald Trump points at AmericaFest, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Trump was represented by Florida attorneys Alejandro Brito and Richard Klugh. The settlement with ABC was filed in the Southern District of Florida Federal Court where both parties signed and agreed to the terms.
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An ABC News spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time that the network was “pleased” to have settled the case.
Fox News’ Gabriel Hayes and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Yael Halon is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to yael.halon@fox.com.
