The article about the new First Lady was published on Mail Online and stated that her “well-publicized professional modeling career in the 1990s was a ruse, and that she instead worked as an ‘elite escort’ in the ‘sex business’ among other completely false and highly defamatory statements.”
Published in late August 2016, the statement has since been retracted. The article caused her to lose significant value and essentially prevented her from pursuing other commercial brand opportunities, this included apparel, shoes, and cosmetics.
Trump’s attorney argued that the article was libellous, defamatory and had negative economic implications for her current brand and future opportunities. According to the lawsuit, Trump believes Mail Online deliberately published the article “knowing that the claims…were defamatory and knowing that they were likely false and based on completely unreliable sources.” It also states that Mail Online ran the piece with a reckless disregard for the truth and made a conscious choice not to contact anyone who was likely to debunk the claims. The lawsuit is seeking compensatory and punitive damages of at least $150 million.
