A federal judge has ruled that the infamous Access Hollywood tape in which former President Trump can be heard bragging about groping women is going to be part of the evidence used in the civil rape lawsuit brought forth by E. Jean Carroll against Trump. The trial is set to take place in April.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that the tape can be introduced at the trial, along with the testimony of two witnesses, Natasha Stoynoff and Jessica Leeds, both of whom have alleged that Trump had sexually assaulted them.
Carroll has accused Trump of raping her in the Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in New York City in the mid-1990s. She further claims that following her admission, her reputation was damaged after Trump denied the incident in 2019.
Trump has also called Carroll’s allegations a “lie” and a “hoax.” As a result, Carroll has sued Trump for defamation.
Kaplan in his ruling stated that the Access Hollywood tape suggests that Trump may have previously sexually assaulted women, which is why the tape can be introduced by Carroll’s legal team as part of their argument that Trump has an inclination for sexual assault.
The tape in question was first aired nationally in 2016 during Trump’s presidential campaign. In the tape, Trump can be heard bragging about kissing and groping women without their consent during a conversation with “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush. He further proceeded to discuss using vulgar language his attempts to have intercourse with a married woman.
