Donald Trump was found liable for battery and defamation after a jury in a civil trial found he sexually abused writer E Jean Carroll in the 1990s.
The jury rejected the rape claim but awarded the former Elle magazine advice columnist $5m (£4m) in damages.
The nine-person jury began hearing the defamation and battery lawsuit Tuesday and deliberated for just under three hours.
Ms Carroll, 79, had alleged that the former US president raped her in the dressing room of a department store in Manhattan in 1995 or 1996.
She said he defamed her by claiming she had made the story up and was seeking damages and punitive damages.
After the verdict, Ms Carroll said in a statement that she had filed the lawsuit to “get my life back” adding that “today the world finally knows the truth”.
“This victory is not just for me, but for every woman who has suffered because they weren’t believed,” she said.
Read more: What other investigations is Trump facing?
Trump calls verdict ‘dishonour’
And Jean Carroll leaves federal court in Manhattan after the verdict
Trump, who did not attend the trial, insisted he never sexually assaulted Ms. Carroll or knew her. He called the verdict a “disgrace” on his platform Truth Social.
Trump said, “I have absolutely no idea who this woman is. This verdict is a disgrace, a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time.”
The former US president, on a campaign to regain the White House in 2024, will appeal, his lawyer confirmed. He won’t have to pay until the case is on appeal.
During the trial, Ms. Carroll testified and told jurors that Trump “shattered” her reputation.
His defamation claim concerns an October 2022 post on Truth Social in which he called his allegations a “complete scam” and “a hoax and a lie.”
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
The former aide says the allegation “hit a lot” to Trump
“No one is above the law, not even a former president”
Since it was a civil suit, Trump faces no criminal charges.
Former Trump aide Sean Spicer said the rape allegation would “hit a lot” of Donald Trump.
He said to “keep in mind that this is a civil case, not a criminal case,” but added, “It’s never a good thing to have a verdict against you … especially of this nature.”
Mr. Spicer said “optics matter in politics, but I think if you were President Trump right now… the rape charge would have hit hard.”
Ms Carroll’s lawyer Roberta Kaplan said the verdict was a victory not only for Ms Carroll but “for democracy itself and for all survivors everywhere”.
“No one is above the law, not even a former US president,” he added.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Trump’s attorney upholds appeal
During the seven-day trial, jurors were also shown a Trump deposition confusing Ms. Carroll with his ex-wife Marla Maples in a photograph — which Ms Carroll’s lawyers say undermines the former president’s argument that she wasn’t his type.
Trump’s lawyers previously said Ms Carroll “abused the system” for “money, status and political reasons.”
Speaking outside the courtroom, Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina said it was an “inconsistent verdict” but added that he was happy Trump “wasn’t being labeled a rapist.”
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Moment in which Trump confuses the accuser of rape with his ex-wife
She said: “For me it’s about the results. While it was weird, part of me was obviously very happy that Donald Trump wasn’t labeled a rapist. I didn’t think there should be any liability findings, so we’re going to pursue that.”
Click to subscribe to Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts
To know more:
The discovery of sexual abuse will resonate throughout Trump’s presidential campaign
The former president has waived his right to testify at trial and has chosen not to present a defense.
Ms Carroll first made her allegations in a 2019 memoir.
She testified that she had a chance meeting with Trump at the Bergdorf Goodman store across the street from Trump Tower.
She said it was a lighthearted interaction where they teased each other to try on a piece of lingerie before Trump turned violent inside a locker room.
