ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos have settled a defamation lawsuit with President-elect Donald Trump for $16 million, avoiding a high-stakes deposition showdown just before Christmas.
The settlement, filed Saturday, includes a $15 million donation to a presidential foundation Trump plans to establish and $1 million to cover his legal fees. Additionally, both ABC News and Stephanopoulos will issue a formal apology for on-air statements falsely claiming Trump was “found liable for rape.”
The lawsuit stemmed from a March 2024 interview where Stephanopoulos repeatedly made the false claim during a segment with Rep. Nancy Mace. The statements misrepresented a 2023 jury decision that held Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming columnist E. Jean Carroll but not for rape.
The settlement caps off months of legal tension and spares both parties hours of depositions ordered by a federal judge. Trump’s team called the deal a “vindication,” while ABC issued a statement expressing “regret” for the inaccuracies.
The settlement marks a rare public concession by a major news network and one of its top anchors.
