News

Former ‘Apprentice’ contestant files defamation lawsuit against Trump

by Rebecca Savransky - 01/17/17 3:23 PM ET

Former “Apprentice” contestant Summer Zervos, who accused Donald Trump of inappropriate sexual conduct, filed a defamation lawsuit on Tuesday against the president-elect, her attorney, Gloria Allred, announced.

“The lawsuit alleges that Ms. Zervos had been subjected to unwanted sexual touching by Donald Trump and that she had told family and friends about the incidents not long after these incidents occurred,” Allred said during a press conference held Tuesday.

Allred said Zervos decided not to take any action against the president-elect or go public with her story at the time it happened.

{mosads}But that changed in October of last year, Allred said.

Multiple women came forward then to accuse Trump of sexual misconduct after the release of a 2005 “Access Hollywood” video in which Trump is heard making lewd comments about women.

In the tape, Trump talked about how he could grope and kiss women without their consent because of his celebrity status.

Zervos held a press conference last year when she described a 2007 incident in which she says Trump groped and kissed her during a meeting about a job opportunity. Trump and his team denied the claims made by Zervos at the time.

“On Nov. 11, 2016, I called on Mr. Trump to retract his statements about me calling me a liar. I also called upon him to state that what I said about his behavior toward me was true,” Zervos said during the press conference Tuesday.

“More than two months have gone by and he has not issued that retraction. I wanted to give Mr. Trump the opportunity to retract his false statements about me and the other women who came forward.”

Zervos said since Trump hasn’t issued a retraction, she was left with no alternative other than to sue him “in order to vindicate my reputation.”

She said she would still be willing to dismiss her case against the president-elect if he would “simply retract his false and defamatory statements about me and acknowledge that I told the truth about him.”

Allred has in the past harshly criticized Trump, calling him a “fourth-rate politician and a fifth-rate human.”

“Please understand that you will not intimidate me,” she said in a statement directed at Trump. “Others who are smarter, richer and more famous than you have tried and failed.”

Tags Donald Trump