On May 2, a second woman came forward to accuse former President Donald Trump of sexual assault on a plane bound for New York City in 1979, adding to the ongoing trial where writer E. Jean Carroll has accused Trump of sexual assault.
During the trial, a friend of Carroll also confirmed the writer’s account of being raped by Trump in a Manhattan department store. Jessica Leeds, a woman from Asheville, North Carolina, testified in Carroll’s civil trial, claiming that Trump allegedly grabbed her chest and ran his hand up her skirt while they sat together in first class.
Leeds, who was in her late 30s at the time, was travelling from Dallas or Atlanta to New York’s LaGuardia Airport when Trump kissed her and groped her without any warning or conversation, she said. She described the incident as a “tussle” and said that Trump was trying to kiss her and pull her towards him, grabbing her breasts. After a few seconds, she wriggled free and told him that she did not want it, before moving to the back of the plane.
Carroll’s lawyers called Leeds to the witness stand to demonstrate that Trump had a history of sexually assaulting women and that the writer’s case was not an isolated incident. Trump’s lawyer said that the former president would not testify, and Trump has repeatedly denied the women’s claims, stating that the allegations are politically motivated.
Leeds had previously spoken about the alleged assault during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign after he claimed that he had never touched women without their consent.
Carroll, a former magazine advice columnist, accused Trump of raping her at Bergdorf Goodman, a luxury department store on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, in 2019. She is suing Trump for battery and defamation in a civil trial. During the cross-examination, Carroll denied making up her claims to drive publicity for her memoir, “What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal.”
Carroll’s friend, author Lisa Birnbach, also testified in the trial, stating that Carroll called her in 1996 after Trump allegedly attacked her in a dressing room of the department store. Birnbach remembers Carroll being emotional and hyperventilating on the phone, and she advised her to go to the police.
However, Carroll refused to do so and asked Birnbach not to tell anyone about the incident. Birnbach commented that Carroll stayed silent about the alleged assault for decades because she was strong and didn’t wallow in self-pity.
Post Your Comments