In Stormy Daniels‘ much anticipated first television appearance since the story of her alleged affair with President Trump began trending in the news, the adult film actress also known as Stephanie Clifford shared graphic details and said she signed a nondisclosure agreement to keep quiet about the encounter because she felt threatened.
Daniels appeared on CBS‘ 60 Minutes, and walked Anderson Cooper through her side of her experience with Trump, beginning with an encounter at a golf tournament in 2006 in which Daniels playfully swatted Trump on the behind with a magazine he had been holding that had his face on the cover.
“From that moment on, he was a completely different person,” Daniels said. “He was like, ‘Wow, you..you are special. You remind me of my daughter.’ You know, he was like, ‘You’re smart and beautiful, and a woman to be reckoned with, and I like you. I like you.’ “
Daniels said she had sex with Trump, despite not wanting to or being physically attracted to him, because she felt trapped once she went back to his hotel room alone. Daniels was 27 years old at the time, and Trump was 60.
Still, Daniels made it clear she didn’t consider herself “a victim” and that the sex was “consensual.” Trump did not wear a condom, she said.
The two stayed in touch after that, but did not have sex again, Daniels said.
White House principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah said Monday that Trump has “consistently” denied the claims by Daniels, including her allegations she was threatened with physical violence to keep quiet, while arguing that it’s her story that’s been inconsistent.
“The president doesn’t believe that any of the claims that Ms. Daniels made last night in the interview are accurate,”
Shah said.
More recently, Daniels and her attorney Michael Avenatti, have been fighting to void the nondisclosure agreement Daniels agreed to, that involved a $130,000 payment from Trump attorney Michael Cohen, in the days leading up to the 2016 election. Daniels filed a civil suit in California earlier this month claiming the agreement is invalid on the grounds that Trump never signed it.
In regards to the payment, Shah said, “False charges are settled out of court all the time and this is nothing outside the ordinary.”
Daniels is one of two women suing to speak freely about past relationships with Trump.
Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, filed suit last week to break an agreement she made with American Media Inc., the parent company of The National Enquirer, for the rights to tell the story of her alleged 10-month affair with Trump.