Washington – A former contestant on the reality television show “The Apprentice” on Tuesday filed a defamation lawsuit against US president-elect Donald Trump.
Summer Zervos first accused Trump, the star of the show, of sexual misconduct more than two months ago, after a videotape on which Trump was heard making lewd statements about women emerged during the presidential campaign.
Zervos was one of several women who came forward after the 2005 “Access Hollywood” videotape was released to say that Trump had made unwanted sexual advances towards her.
“This lawsuit seeks to make Donald Trump accountable for the damages he’s caused Miss Zervos,” her lawyer Gloria Allred said.
Allred told a news conference that Zervos would dismiss the lawsuit if Trump would issue a retraction for calling her a liar and saying the allegations against him were false.
Allred said Zervos is trying to regain her reputation and has been waiting for two months for Trump to retract what he said about her after she described the alleged actions.
After the “Access Hollywood” videotape surfaced, Zervos for the first time saw Trump’s behaviour towards her as “that of a sexual predator who had preyed on her and other women,” Allred said.
Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for Trump’s presidential transition, was quoted Tuesday as saying there was “no truth to this absurd story.”
The Trump transition team did not respond to an email request for comment.
Zervos claims Trump kissed and groped her in a Beverly Hills hotel room in 2007, making her feel nervous and embarrassed. She was a contestant on “The Apprentice” at the time.
The defamation claim stems from Zervos’ assertion that Trump lied when asked about the incident in October.
Allred said Zervos volunteered to take a polygraph test and passed.
She also suggested she may attempt to subpoena copies of unaired, unedited outtakes from “The Apprentice.” There has been media speculation about what those outtakes might contain in light of the “Access Hollywood” videotape.
Zervos said at the news conference that she wasn’t seeking monetary damages and simply wanted Trump to retract what he said about her.
“Since Mr Trump has not issued a retraction he has therefore left me with no alternative other than to sue him in order to vindicate my reputation,” she said.
Allred said she expected Trump’s lawyers to attempt to dismiss the case or delay it.
-dpa
