Supreme Court Again Rejects Trump's Appeal in E. Jean Carroll Sex Abuse Case

E. Jean Carroll, a writer and journalist, accused Donald Trump of sexually abusing her in a department store in the 1990s. Carroll later sued Trump for defamation after he publicly denied her allegations, calling her claims false and disparaging her character.

The dispute led to a high-profile civil trial. In May 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll, awarding her $5 million in damages. Trump denied the accusations throughout the process and mounted a series of legal challenges.

After the jury verdict in favor of Carroll, Trump's legal team filed multiple appeals seeking to overturn the decision and block the $5 million award. Lower courts consistently rejected his arguments, upholding the jury's findings of liability for both sexual abuse and defamation.

Trump then took his case to the US Supreme Court, asking the justices to review and reverse the lower court rulings. According to Sky News and NBC News, the Supreme Court first declined to hear Trump's petition, signaling little interest in revisiting the facts or legal basis of the verdict.

On August 17, 2026, the Supreme Court again rejected Trump's appeal, this time refusing to rehear the case or consider any further arguments. Multiple outlets, including BBC News and Forbes, reported that the justices denied his request without providing any explanation. This marked the second time the nation's highest court declined to intervene.

The verdict, which found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, was left intact. Outlets such as The Hill and Reuters noted that the Supreme Court's decision effectively finalized the matter at the federal level.

With the Supreme Court's latest rejection, Donald Trump is required to pay E. Jean Carroll $5 million in damages. The legal avenues for appeal on this specific verdict are now closed.

Carroll's victory is considered significant, both for her personally and as a rare instance of a former US president being held civilly liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Trump continues to deny any wrongdoing. According to the BBC, he is also facing a separate, much larger financial judgment related to Carroll.

While the $5 million verdict is now final, Trump is still contesting a separate and larger $83 million award to Carroll. The Supreme Court has not yet decided whether it will hear arguments on that case. Further developments could come if the justices take up or reject that appeal.