E JEAN CARROLL

After a constant diet of Dear Abby and Ann Landers columns, E. Jean Carroll started writing at the age of six, aspiring to follow in their footsteps.

She began her professional writing career in 1979 and gained notoriety from 1993 until 2019 for penning one of the longest-running advice columns in American publishing, which received 200 letters per month. She sees herself as a cheerleader, helping people get through their difficulties with encouragement and humor. She has saved every letter that has ever been sent to her and explains that most everything she has learned has come from reading them.

Then everything changed after she wrote "What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal" (2019). In the book, she accuses CBS CEO Les Moonves and Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s. The controversy prompted Moonves to resign from CBS, while Trump released a statement in which he denied her allegations and launched personal attacks against her.

Carroll's decision to come forward reverberated far beyond her own case, creating a coalition of women who found the courage to share their own stories of assault and harassment. Her willingness to stand up to powerful men—despite the personal cost—inspired countless women, particularly those from marginalized communities who face additional barriers when seeking justice.

She became a symbol of resilience for women of color and economically disadvantaged women who often lack the resources and platform to hold their abusers accountable. By speaking openly about her experience and pursuing legal action, Carroll helped shift the cultural conversation around sexual assault, demonstrating that no one is above accountability regardless of their wealth, power, or position.

Beyond her individual legal battle, Carroll has used her platform to advocate for systemic changes that would create more opportunities for survivors to seek justice. She has spoken about the need for legal reforms that protect survivors from retaliation and defamation, recognizing that the wealthy and powerful often use the court system to silence and intimidate those who speak out against them.

Her advocacy has particularly focused on how these dynamics disproportionately affect women of color and low-income women, who are statistically more likely to experience sexual violence but less likely to report it due to fears of not being believed, retaliation, or lack of access to legal resources.

Through her public speaking and continued activism, Carroll has worked to build bridges between the #MeToo movement and broader efforts for racial and economic justice, emphasizing that true accountability requires dismantling all the systems that enable abuse and protect abusers.

Carroll sued Trump for defamation and battery, and on May 9, 2023, a jury found Trump liable for defamation and sexual abuse, awarding her $5 million in damages.

Upset by the verdict and unable to contain himself, Trump continued making defamatory comments. On January 26, 2024, a jury found him liable for defamation regarding his remarks after the first verdict, awarding her an additional $83.3 million in damages.

While Trump continues to harass Carroll, she and her lawyer, Roberta (Robbie) Kaplan, continue to take him on.