What started as a rumor in 2006 has now spread like wildfire after The Wall Street Journal shed some new light on the matter. Claims of an affair with Donald Trump and the Adult Film Star, Stephanie Clifford, otherwise known as Stormy Daniels, have become a matter of intense debate stretching across political lines and the media.

Stephanie tells her story

In July 2006, Donald Trump was at Lake Tahoe resort, attending a golf tournament, when he had his first encounter with Stephanie Clifford. According to the adult film star, the future president took her on a ride around the lakefront course in his Escalade golf cart.

In an interview with InTouch magazine, Stephanie detailed her night with Donald Trump saying, she went to his hotel room and found him in pajamas watching television. The two had dinner in the room which led to unprotected sex. Stephanie also spoke of Trump’s phobia of sharks and how he wished they would become extinct, “he was like, I donate to all these charities and I would never donate to any charity that helps sharks.”

The adult film actor also talked about how Trump compared her to his daughter saying she was, “someone to be reckoned with, beautiful and smart.” Trump also asked her to autograph a copy of her adult movie "3 Wishes." Her affair with the future president continued after their night at the Tahoe resort.

The two stayed in contact, and later met in a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel where she found him watching Shark Week on Discovery Channel.

Cohen denies making any payment

InTouch magazine had previously published pieces of the interview which received scant attention but after the recent report from The Wall Street Journal detailing Michael Cohen’s payment to Clifford.

In the report, Michael Cohen, one of Trump organization's attorneys, paid Stephanie $130, 000 so that she would stay silent regarding her encounter with the president. Michael later denied overseeing any payment to Clifford and produced an email which showed the adult film star denying she had any contact with Donald Trump or that she received any payment.

Jacob Weisberg, Chairman, and editor in chief of the Slate Group said that Stephanie’s interview, published in InTouch magazine, matched with what she had told Slate in their interviews. Weisberg later published an article detailing his conversation with Stephanie. He wrote of how Stephanie had worked out an agreement that would ensure Donald Trump would pay her a six-figure amount for her silence. Clifford also sent the two-page unsigned document to Weisberg showing details of the settlement. Slate published the document which shields the names of other parties involved in the agreement.

The affair remains a matter of debate as The Wall Street Journal is yet to prove the $130, 000 payment to Stephanie.