Woman Accusing Trump Of Child Rape Abruptly Cancels Press Conference, Citing Threats
WOODLAND HILLS (CBSLA.com) — A woman who has sued Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, alleging he raped her 22 years ago at a series of parties when she was only 13 years old, abruptly canceled a Woodland Hills news conference Wednesday, with her attorney saying threats left the woman too afraid to speak out.
"Jane Doe has received numerous threats today, as have all the Trump accusers that I have represented," attorney Lisa Bloom told a throng of reporters gathered at her office. "She is living in fear. She has decided that she is too afraid to show her face.
"She's been here all day ready to do it, but unfortunately, she is in terrible fear so we're going to have to reschedule," Bloom said.
The woman's lawsuit has been public for months, but the woman has only been known as "Jane Doe."
The abruptly canceled news conference would have been the first time she spoke out publicly.
Trump has vehemently denied the woman's allegations.
He issued a statement earlier this year calling the allegations "not only categorically false, but disgusting at the highest level and clearly framed to solicit media attention or, perhaps, are simply politically motivated. There is absolutely no merit to these allegations, period."
An attorney for Trump called the legal action "a sham lawsuit brought by someone who desires to impact the presidential election."
In her lawsuit, filed earlier this year in federal court in New York, the woman alleges she was "enticed by promises of money and a modeling career to attend a series of parties, with other similarly situated minor females, held at a New York City residence that was being used by defendant Jeffrey Epstein. At least four of the parties were attended by Trump."
The lawsuit alleges that Trump "initiated sexual contact with plaintiff at four different parties. On the fourth and final sexual encounter with defendant Trump, defendant Trump tied plaintiff to a bed, exposed himself to plaintiff and then proceeded to forcibly rape plaintiff.
"During the course of this savage sexual attack, plaintiff loudly pleaded with defendant Trump to stop but with no effect. Defendant Trump responded to plaintiff's pleas by violently striking plaintiff in the face with his open hand and screaming that he would do whatever he wanted," according to the lawsuit.
The suit also alleges that Trump threatened the woman, saying if she told anybody about the attack, she "and her family would be physically harmed if not killed."
The suit also alleges that Epstein had sexual contact with the woman at two of the parties, including once after she had already been raped by Trump.
According to the lawsuit, the woman did not come forward earlier due to the threats by both Trump and Epstein against her and her family.
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