Apprentice contestant sues Donald Trump for defamation
Summer Zervos, a former contestant on The Apprentice who accused Donald Trump of making unwanted sexual advances during a 2007 business meeting, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump over statements he made in response to her allegations.
In October, Zervos alleged that Trump kissed her on the lips, groped her breast without consent, and pressed himself against her during the meeting. The suit, filed Tuesday, claims that Trump went on to publicly call Zervos a liar while on the campaign trail and say Zervos and the other women who have accused him of sexual harassment only want "10 minutes of fame." The suit also states that Trump knew his inflammatory comments would subject the women to "threats of violence, economic harm, and reputational damage."
Her attorney, Gloria Allred, said Zervos would be willing to dismiss the lawsuit without any monetary damages if Trump would agree to retract his remarks about her and admit the accusations she made against him were true. Trump's spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, told NBC News there is "no truth to this absurd story."
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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