
Michael Avenatti, lawyer of Stormy Daniels, the adult film star who was allegedly paid $130,000 in hush money to keep quiet about an alleged sexual encounter (opens in new tab) with President Donald Trump in 2006, says six more women have come forward with similar stories. The identities of the women or specific details about their accusations were not released.
Avenatti told CNN's Anderson Cooper that while his team has "not vetted these stories to any great degree," the initial consultations indicate "that there are some striking similarities between their stories and that of my client, Ms. Clifford." Daniels' real name is Stephanie Clifford.
Cooper then asked Avenatti if any of the women have signed non-disclosure agreements. "At least two of them do," Avenatti responded.
According to CNN (opens in new tab), Daniels filed a complaint against Trump over her nondisclosure agreement with the President, which she would like to void. A hearing for this case is scheduled for July 12 at the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Meanwhile, on Anderson Cooper 360, Avenatti repeatedly stressed throughout the interview that neither he nor his team have agreed to represent any of the new six women—yet. He said he has "preached caution" throughout this process and does not want to "overstate facts and evidence."
Trump has not issued any statements about these new allegations, and also did not directly address Daniels' accusations when the reports were first released in early January. However, his attorney Michael D. Cohen issued the following statement to The New York Times (opens in new tab).
Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly. The payment to Ms. Clifford was lawful, and was not a campaign contribution or a campaign expenditure by anyone.
"If Michael Cohen and President Trump want to drag this out and get into a street fight ... for an American citizen speaking the truth—I think this is outstanding," Avenatti told Cooper on Thursday.
I’m Eileen, the digital news reporter at Hearst Digital Media. As a member of the newsroom, I report on a wide range of news, including entertainment, politics and lifestyle. I also cover red carpet events for over 20 of Hearst's magazine brands. I previously held positions at CNN, Facebook and MTV, where I worked as a digital producer, writer and on-camera host. Fun facts: I'm fluent in Spanish, a BU alum, and love fashion and travel.
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