ABC News has settled a defamation lawsuit brought by Donald Trump for $15 million, following controversial remarks made by anchor George Stephanopoulos. The anchor falsely claimed during a March interview that Trump had been found “liable for rape,” a statement he repeated multiple times throughout the broadcast while questioning congresswoman Nancy Mace about her support for Trump.

The jury in a previous civil case had found Trump liable for “sexual abuse,” but not rape as commonly interpreted, under New York law. As part of the settlement, ABC News will also contribute $15 million to a Presidential foundation and museum, alongside an additional $1 million to cover Trump’s legal fees. Moreover, the network agreed to publish a statement expressing regret for Stephanopoulos's comments in a future online article.

An ABC spokesperson expressed satisfaction with the resolution, stating that all parties were pleased to reach an agreement. In the context of the ongoing legal battles, Trump had previously been ordered to pay significant damages to E. Jean Carroll for other defamation claims, while facing additional lawsuits against other news networks, including CBS and CNN, related to his public statements and characterizations.