Michael Avenatti cross-examines Stormy Daniels about paranormal claims: 'How do you speak with the dead?'
Michael Avenatti's trial just took a spooky turn.
Avenatti, the former lawyer of porn star Stormy Daniels, is on trial for alleged fraud, and he's representing himself in the case. On Friday, he cross-examined his former client, Daniels — and questioned her claims that she's able to communicate with dead people.
"How do you speak with the dead?" Avenatti asked Daniels, who responded, "I don't know. It just happens sometimes," The New York Times reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
During the cross-examination, Daniels reportedly confirmed that a medium told her a "dark entity" entered her home via a "portal," and she told the court that she has spoken with a haunted doll named Susan on a show called Spooky Babes, CNN reports. She also said that she believes she heard this doll say "Mommy, Mommy" and also once encountered the spirit of a woman "sobbing and cutting her wrists in an attempt to kill herself," according to The New York Post.
Avenatti has been accused of stealing book deal money from Daniels, whom he represented in a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump. Daniels alleged she had an affair with Trump; he denied her allegations. Avenatti was previously found guilty of trying to extort Nike in a separate case.
Daniels testified against Avenatti in the trial on Thursday, per CNN, telling the court, "He lied to me and betrayed me and broke my trust, and I thought he was my friend."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Rain helps Los Angeles wildfires, risks mudslides
Speed Read The weather provided relief for crews working to contain wildfires, though rain over a burn area ups the chances of flooding and mudslides
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Death toll rises in LA fires as wind lull allows progress
Speed Read At least 24 people have died and 100,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden cancels Italy trip as raging LA fires spread
Speed Read The majority of the fires remain 0% contained
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Fast-spreading Los Angeles wildfires spark panic
Speed Read About 30,000 people were under an evacuation order as the inferno spread
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hundreds feared dead in French Mayotte cyclone
Speed Read Cyclone Chido slammed into Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Thirteen missing after Red Sea tourist boat sinks
Speed Read The vessel sank near the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Global plastics summit starts as COP29 ends
Speed Read Negotiators gathering in South Korea seek an end to the world's plastic pollution crisis, though Trump's election may muddle the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden visits Amazon, says climate legacy irreversible
Speed Read Nobody can reverse America's 'clean energy revolution,' said the president, despite the incoming Trump administration's promises to dismantle climate policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published