The adult film actress Stephanie Clifford/Stormy Daniels first came into public view in the fall of 2017 when she filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump and his personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen.
Her lawsuit argues the validity of a paid non-disclosure agreement (NDA) she and Cohen signed just days before the 2016 presidential election. The NDA outlined that Stormy was not to disclose details about an affair she and Trump had in 2006 in exchange for $130,000. But the Daniels' camp says the contract is null and void because Trump never signed it so she should be allowed to speak.
This case is still in litigation and actually delayed due to Cohen's involvement in another case at the federal level.
And now, Stormy is back with another lawsuit. She is suing the president again, but this time for defamation of character by way of a Tweet.
The downpour
Daniels and her attorney Michael Avenatti have publicly stated that she had been intimidated and threatened numerous times since the affair. They cited one frightening instance in 2011 when an unknown man approached her in a health club parking lot and threatened her to remain silent about Trump.
When Stormy and her legal team prepared for their now NDA case, they attempted to put a name with the seven-year-old face by hiring a sketch artist.They hoped to add to the credibility of their case and bring the man who threatened her to justice.
A man whom they believe have ties to Trump.
According to Avenatti in a CNN interview, the Daniels' team received hundreds of phone calls and leads after the sketch went public. And when something comes into the public's eye, there is always a critic. This was no different.
Tweety Bird
Trump had been tweet-silent on the Stormy Daniels' saga until the sketch of the man who allegedly threatened Stormy hit the airwaves and internet.
It seemed Trump just couldn’t resist commenting.
On April 18, Trump tweeted out that the sketch was a “con job” and a sketch of a non-existent man. The president went on to say that Avenatti and Daniels were “playing the fake news media for fools.” It’s these statements that Avenatti cites as defaming, as Trump implies that his client is lying.
So on Monday (April 30), Stormy Daniels’ legal team filed a defamation lawsuit based on that tweet Donald Trump posted to the world.
Lighting strikes twice
Now Trump has two suits against him from one woman. The Daniels’ New York lawsuit claims, “Mr. Trump knew that his false statement would be read by people around the world, as well as widely reported and that Ms. Clifford would be subjected to threats of violence, economic harm, and reputational damage as a result.” The lawsuit seeks damages of $75,000.
It must also be noted that many defamation suits are dismissed because attorneys aren’t able to prove a level of malice for intent, according to CNN legal experts. In this case, if a judge sees the tweet as Donald just expressing his opinion, then it may be dismissed.
But if it can be proven that there was malicious intent to discredit or harm Daniels, then the lawsuit will carry more weight.
In other words, Avenatti has some challenges before him, just like Donald. No matter how hard the thunder rumbles or how many White House staff are fired, one thing seems to be constant. The inability to escape the storm of Stormy Daniels.
