A federal judge in New York has confirmed an $83 million defamation verdict against former President Donald Trump, related to accusations made by writer E Jean Carroll. Carroll alleged Trump sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990s; Trump refuted her claims as fabricated. This legal decision arrived as Trump sought a new trial, citing his defamation remarks during the proceedings were unjustly penalized.

Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled against restarting the trial, stating Trump’s arguments lacked substance. Initially, Carroll filed a lawsuit in 2019 which led to her being awarded $5 million in damages. In a subsequent trial focused on Trump’s defamatory responses, Carroll secured $18.3 million in compensatory and $65 million in punitive damages.

Parallel to this legal activity, Trump faces a separate court case regarding accusations that he unlawfully covered up a liaison with Stormy Daniels. These ongoing troubles coincide with a controversial episode involving comedian Roseanne Barr, who performed a sketch implying a comparison between Carroll’s accusations and a fictional accusation against President Joe Biden. This act received wide criticism for trivializing sexual violence, reflecting heightened sensitivities around such issues. Critics of Barr’s performance labelled it as repugnant and reckless.

Both cases—Trump’s defamation ruling and Barr’s contentious sketch—illustrate the complex dialogue around figures in the public eye and the legal and ethical considerations their actions invoke. Meanwhile, representatives from all parties involved in these incidents have yet to fully address the recent developments publicly.