E. Jean Carroll said her sexual abuse and defamation trials against President Donald Trump were so hilarious that she believed she had found herself in a satire not even the best writers could come up with.
“The behind the scenes goings on at those two trials were so funny and so hilarious I had found myself in the middle of a high comedy surrounded by characters, that not even [novelist] John Grisham could have created,” Carroll said during a guest appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” where she discussed her forthcoming book “My Not My Type: One Woman vs. A President,” in which she documents, from her viewpoint, the events that took place during her trials against Trump, which ultimately led to her winning $83.3 million in damages.
She initially sued Trump alleging that he sexually assaulted her during in late 1995 and early 1996. When Trump denied the allegations, claiming Carroll is “not my type,” she sued him for defamation in November 2019.
She decided to name her book, which was recently announced, after his quote. The book’s quick turnaround from announcement to release, prompted Jonathan Lemire to inquire why she decided to keep the book a “secret.”
“It was just too juicy, we did not want the White House to hear about it,” she told the MSNBC anchor. “The people at Saint Martin’s locked copies of this book in their offices. I didn’t have a copy of the book until two days ago. So the first time I ever laid hands, it was a top-secret job.”
Lemire then asked her what she thinks about speculation that she is merely penning the book for a cash grab. For her, she says it’s simply her nature as a journalist that inspired her to put her experience on paper.
“I’m an old journalist, there was no way I could help myself but to take note of what actually was going on,” Carroll explained. “Would you like to hear what it’s like sitting right in front of Donald Trump? We were so close in the courtroom. If I lean back and reach my hand, I could have grabbed him by the hair. So I could hear everything he was saying,” she said, adding even the president’s “snorts” were in earshot.
“I could hear the snorts and the whines and the bawling,” Carroll said. “And the spitting and the hissing.” What if the jury is hearing this, and I turned and I looked at the jury and they’re petrified with delight. I mean, so what? I’m not going to write about it.”
The latest in Trump and Jean’s legal battle was a decision the federal appeals court made on Friday. The court decided in an 8-2 vote to not reconsider its ruling upholding a $5 million civil judgement after Trump petitioned for the full appellate court to rehear arguments, per AP News.
“Not My Type” hits bookshelves on Tuesday.
