American author E. Jean Carroll accuses the former American president of assaulting her in the mid-1990s, in a fitting room at the New York luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman.
“I’m here because Donald Trump raped me”: the author and former American columnist E. Jean Carroll on Wednesday delivered heavy accusations against the former president of the United States, who refutes them, during a civil trial in New York where she seeks compensation.
On the second day of this trial in Manhattan federal court, E. Jean Carroll, 79, spoke in a calm and serious voice, in front of the nine citizens drawn by lot to determine whether Donald Trump has it or not. assaulted in the mid-1990s, in a fitting room of the New York luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman.
“I’m here,” she said, “because Donald Trump raped me.”
Then, in dead silence, the former Elle magazine columnist continued: “And when I wrote about it (in a book in 2019, Editor’s note), he said it didn’t happen. He lied and ruined my reputation”.
“I am here to resume the course of my life,” she added.
For more than an hour, the writer, elegant, distinguished, with slightly sunken features, recounted how “such a funny New York scene” – the chance meeting with Donald Trump at the entrance to a department store , then a few jokes on the shelves — turned into a nightmare in the dressing room of the lingerie department on the 6th floor.
“It made me unable to find a love life”
According to her account, the businessman and all-New York celebrity at the time recognizes her because she writes a column in Elle, “Ask E. Jean”, and invites her in a very playful tone to the help choose a gift. In the lingerie department, Donald Trump grabs an “undergarment”. E. Jean Carroll still cannot explain more than 25 years after the alleged facts how she was able to follow him into the cabin.
The rest, she gave a testimony without detour. She claims that Donald Trump pushed her against the wall, stuck her, then lowered her pantyhose and penetrated her with “his fingers in (her) vagina”, then her sex. The scene lasted “a few minutes”.
“I know that people have gone through much worse but it made me unable to find a love life,” testified E. Jean Carroll. Why did it take more than 20 years to come out of silence? “I was afraid of Donald Trump (…) I was ashamed (…) I thought it was my fault”.
The former president of the United States, who is not on criminal trial, was not present on Tuesday and Wednesday and is not expected to appear in civil court. But his lawyers should submit E. Jean Carroll to a tight cross-examination. On Tuesday, one of them, Joe Tacopina, had portrayed her as a storyteller hungry for money and recognition.
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2023-04-26 21:59:00
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