‘This victory is not just for me’: E. Jean Carroll issues statement in aftermath of verdict

E. Jean Carroll released a statement Tuesday after a Manhattan jury awarded her $5 million in a civil case against former President Donald Trump alleging sexual abuse and defamation.

MSNBC producer Kyle Griffin tweeted the statement.

"I filed this lawsuit against Donald Trump to clear my name and to get my life back,” Carroll’s statement said.

“Today, the world finally knows the truth. This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed."

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The nine jurors rejected E. Jean Carroll's accusation of rape but unanimously upheld her other complaints in the closely watched civil trial, following less than three hours of deliberations.

It marks the first time Trump has faced legal consequences over a string of sexual assault allegations dating back decades -- and the former leader immediately rejected the verdict as a "disgrace."

Carroll, 79, sued Trump last year, alleging that he raped her in the changing room of the luxury Bergdorf Goodman store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue in 1996.

The former columnist for Elle magazine also claimed that Trump defamed her when he called her "a complete con job" after she went public with the allegation in 2019.

Trump, the 76-year-old frontrunner for the Republican nomination in next year's presidential election, called her case a "hoax" and "a lie."

The jury determined that Carroll had proved sexual abuse -- effectively sexual contact without consent -- by a preponderance of the evidence and awarded her $2 million.

The six men and three women on the jury also said Trump should pay Carroll nearly $3 million for defamation.

Following the verdict, Carroll left the Manhattan federal court smiling but did not speak to reporters.

"We're very happy," said her lawyer, Roberta Kaplan.

With additional reporting by AFP