Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for adult film actress Stormy Daniels, says that his client was physically threatened over the growing scandal over an affair she says she had with Donald Trump back in 2006.
The reveal came towards the end of an interview in “Morning Joe” Friday.
“Was she threatened in any way,” asked co-host Mika Brzezinski.
“Yes,” said Avenatti.
“Was she threatened physical harm?” Brzezinski asked.
“Yes,” Avenatti said again.
“Was her life threatened?” Brzezinski asked.
To that last question, Avenatti declined to say, reverting to an answer he gave numerous times throughout the interview, which directed Mika and the rest of the “Morning Joe” panel to “tune into ’60 Minutes’ on March 25” to watch a widely anticipated interview between Daniels and Anderson Cooper.
The plug came moments after the news of the threat, which elicited a chuckle on set.
“So now you’re working for Les Moonves, said Scarborough, name-dropping the CBS Chief, whose company will air the interview. “As Lionel Hutz would say on ‘The Simpsons,’ ‘so you’re telling me he did.’”
“The Simpsons” gag elicited more laughter from co-host Willie Geist and show regular John Heilemann, though Brzezinski seemed uncomfortable.
“There is obviously so much more here,” she said, “This is serious, stop.”
Since the Wall Street Journal broke the news of the alleged tryst between Daniels and Trump, the story has continued to have legs. Despite signing an NDA, Daniels has become increasingly vocal about her intentions to spill details of the affair. She has offered to return the $130,000 she was given by Trump attorney Michael Cohen to stay quiet.
President Trump has consistently denied that an affair between him and Daniels ever took place.