2 friends of E. Jean Carroll remember hearing about her alleged assault by Trump, The New York Times reports


E. Jean Carroll says she told two friends after President Trump allegedly sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990's. Those two friends say they remember it all.
Last week, an excerpt from the advice columnist's forthcoming book published in New York Magazine described how Trump allegedly assaulted her in a dressing room. New York Magazine corroborated the account with two friends of Carroll's who she reportedly told about the assault, but who remained unnamed in the article. But in a Thursday interview with The New York Times, those women — author Lisa Birnbach and former news anchor Carol Martin — went on the record.
Both Birnbach and Martin remember hearing Carroll's allegation, and recounted their responses to Carroll for both New York Magazine and the Times. Birnbach told Carroll to call the police, she told the Times, while Martin said she told Carroll "I wouldn't tell anybody this." Both women say they'd met Trump before the alleged assault, with Birnbach having interviewed him at Mar-a-Lago and Martin saying she had a friend who dated him.
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.
The Times also spoke with Carroll following last Friday's article, and she again recounted her allegation against Trump. She says she kept silent for years because she viewed the alleged assault as partially her fault. And while she no longer believes that, Carroll "does not want to consider herself a victim and does not describe the incident as a rape," the Times writes.
Read more in The New York Times, or listen to portions of the Times' interviews with Birnbach and Martin at The Daily.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
England’s ‘dysfunctional’ children’s care system
In the Spotlight A new report reveals that protection of youngsters in care in England is failing in a profit-chasing sector
-
Cider farms to visit this autumn
The Week Recommends With harvest season fast approaching, spend an afternoon at one of these idyllic orchards
-
Endangered shark meat is being mislabeled and sold in the US
Under the radar It could cause both health and ecological problems
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants