Porn Star Stormy Daniels Must Pay Trump $300,000 After Losing Defamation Appeal

Former adult-film actress Stormy Daniels now owes former President Donald Trump $300,000 after an appeals court decision ordered her to cover his legal fees.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, filed a defamation suit against the then-president in 2018 after he mocked her claim that a man threatened her in 2011 over her allegations that she had an affair with Trump.

A federal judge dismissed Daniels’ lawsuit that year and ordered the porn actress to pay Trump’s legal fees. She then appealed the legal fees to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

On Friday, the 9th Circuit upheld the decision for Daniels to pay Trump $300,000 in attorneys’ fees and said it had no jurisdiction over Daniels’ appeal because she failed to file a notice within the 30-day deadline of a federal judge granting the fees to Trump, CNBC reported.

In response to the court’s decision, Trump again denied that he and Daniels had a sexual encounter in 2006. Trump married his third wife Melania the year before.

"As I have stated many times throughout the years, I never had an affair with Stormy Daniels, nor would I ever have wanted to. The ruling was a total and complete victory and vindication for, and of me,” Trump said in a statement. “Now all I have to do is wait for all of the money she owes me.”

Daniels also issued a response to the decision on Monday, saying she plans to defy the court ruling ordering her to pay Trump. The porn star also issued another statement on Tuesday, saying the decision was the “result of negligence” of her former lawyer, Michael Avenatti.

The lawyer was found guilty of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud after he stole $300,000 from Daniels from an advance for her tell-all book about her affair with Trump.

“Trump won yesterday ON A TECHNICALITY due to Avenatti’s failure to file promptly. That technical ruling, although distressing, does not reflect on anything I have done or my credibility but is the result of negligence of a criminal lawyer, Michael Avenatti,” Daniels said.