Former 'Apprentice' Contestant Who Filed Defamation Suit Against Trump Settles Case for $0
23:03 GMT 12.11.2021 (Updated: 17:16 GMT 31.07.2023)
© AP Photo / Pablo Martinez Monsivais, left, and Ringo H.W. Chiu, Files
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Summer Zervos, a contestant on "The Apprentice," has settled her defamation suit against former US President Donald Trump for $0.
The defamation suit was dropped on Friday in New York state courts. The suit was initially filed in 2017 but had been frozen due to legal protections afforded to Trump while he was a sitting president.
NEW: Summer Zervos settles Trump defamation case for $0, her attys say.
— Frank G. Runyeon (@frankrunyeon) November 12, 2021
"Ms. Zervos no longer wishes to litigate against the defendant and has secured the right to speak freely about her experience. Ms. Zervos stands by the allegations...and has accepted no compensation.” pic.twitter.com/V3RoB1Nsc6
A December 23 deposition had been scheduled that would have seen both Trump and Zervos testify under oath.
According to a joint statement made by Zervos’ lawyers, Beth Wilkinson and Moira Penza, "After five years, Ms. Zervos no longer wishes to litigate against the defendant and has secured the right to speak freely about her experience."
They added, "Ms. Zervos stands by the allegations in her complaint and has accepted no compensation."
In 2016, when Trump was the Republican presidential nominee, Zervos publicly accused Trump of sexual assault and harassment.
Zervos, a restaurateur from California, was a contestant on "The Apprentice" in 2006 while Trump was the host. In 2007, she met with Trump at his New York office and at a hotel in California in what she stated were professional development meetings. According to Zervos, in those meetings, Trump subjected her to unwanted kissing and groping.
Following her allegations, Trump called her claims a “hoax” on social media and claimed that she was a liar trying to upend his presidential campaign. Zervos on the other hand said Trump had tarnished her reputation. She sought an apology, a retraction, and unspecified damages.
After Trump was elected president the suit was effectively put on hold. Now, nearly five years later, the suit has been dismissed and settled, with both parties free to talk about the allegations.
