Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Thursday, December 12, 2024 76° Today's Paper


Top News

Witnesses back People writer’s account of Trump sex assault

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke during a campaign rally, today, in Colorado Springs, Colo.

WASHINGTON » People Magazine reported today that a half-dozen people have come forward to corroborate its writer’s account of being sexually assaulted by Donald Trump and its aftermath.

Natasha Stoynoff, a former staff writer at the celebrity magazine, wrote last week that Trump grabbed her, pinned her against a wall and forcibly kissed her in a room at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida in 2005. She was on assignment to write a profile of the billionaire businessman and his then-pregnant wife, who Stoynoff said was upstairs when it happened.

The Republican presidential nominee has denied the accusation, saying Stoynoff fabricated the incident. He also suggested Stoynoff, 51, is not physically attractive enough to merit his attention.

“She lies! Look at her, I don’t think so,” Trump, 70, said at a campaign rally last week.

Stoynoff is one of about a dozen women who have recently accused Trump of such misconduct as groping, unexpected kisses on the mouth and unwanted sexual advances.

Though Stoynoff says she and Trump were alone when he accosted her, the magazine’s latest story quotes five friends and former co-workers who say the writer told them about the incident shortly after it happened.

In Stoynoff’s first-person account, she also wrote of a chance meeting and brief conversation with Melania Trump along New York’s Fifth Avenue weeks later. She said Trump’s third wife was by then carrying the couple’s infant son, Barron, in her arms while outside Trump Tower. She said Melania called her by her first name and gave her a hug.

But Melania Trump said in an interview with CNN broadcast Monday that the conversation never happened.

“I was never friends with her, I would not recognize her,” the candidate’s wife said of Stoynoff.

However, a sixth person quoted in People’s story today, Liza Herz, said she was with Stoynoff and remembers the moment well.

“They chatted in a friendly way,” Herz is quoted as saying. “And what struck me most was that Melania was carrying a child and wearing heels.”

Stoynoff’s longtime friend Marina Grasic told People she got a call from the reporter the day after the alleged attack. Grasic said Stoynoff detailed everything, from Trump pushing her against a wall to the mogul later showing up at her massage appointment.

“Beyond just the attack, she was horrified by the vulgar circumstances under which she was attacked and propositioned to have an affair,” Grasic recounted. “She was there in a professional capacity, writing an article about their happy marriage, and after the incident Trump acted like nothing happened.”

Paul McLaughlin, Stoynoff’s former journalism professor, told the magazine she called him in tears looking for advice on the night of the alleged encounter. He cautioned her to remain quiet in fear of how Trump might retaliate to destroy her career and reputation.

“I advised her not to say anything, because I believed Trump would deny it and try to destroy her,” McLaughlin told People.

The former People co-workers quoted to bolster Stoynoff’s account were East Coast Editor Liz McNeil, Deputy East Coast News Editor Mary Green and former staff writer Liza Hamm. All said Stoynoff confided in them years ago about the incident.

———

Follow Associated Press reporter Michael Biesecker at http://Twitter.com/mbieseck

62 responses to “Witnesses back People writer’s account of Trump sex assault”

  1. nodaddynotthebelt says:

    Trump supporters: It’s all a lie, Trump is an honest man and he would never do such a thing. Whatever his wife said is true. Hillary is such a liar. She is behind all of this. She controls the media and the media is just making all this stuff up. We need to lock her up. Trump is innocent of all the charges…

  2. oahuresident says:

    Unfortunately both candidates are running against the only person they could possibly beat. I am sitting out of this election.

  3. andthen says:

    Just the fact that he is being accused of these MANY, MANY sexual assault charges, that should disqualify him for ANY public office PERIOD.

    • justmyview371 says:

      No these accusations are not substantiated. Clinton is known as a liar.

      • amela says:

        Brah, Trump got Clinton by a mile, no contest. Trump and Ailes are two of a kind can’t you see that? I wonder how the women on Fox Network must feel with all that creepiness around them, they look so uncomfortable with the men around them. But they won’t talk till they leave cause they to chicken to lose their job.

    • MillionMonkeys says:

      Many many is right. And there are even more friends and family who corroborate the alleged victims’ stories from way back.

      If/when people send false accusers out to destroy their opponents, holes and inconsistencies are always found in the stories. Not this time. Too many friends and family are telling stories that match those of the Trump accusers.

      I understand that many females are subject to unwanted advances and actual assaults, and find that much of the world doesn’t care and will point the finger right back at them instead of helping them. So they often don’t report it, just tell a trusted friend or family member. Some men know that, and will take advantage of the situation. They commit assault.

  4. DeltaDag says:

    There are processes involving law enforcement agencies and the courts. Sadly but truly, in this society, if these entities or resources are not called upon, anything said after the fact amounts to just telling tales. We need to all grow up.

  5. mulen says:

    It’s so obvious that the Clinton Foundation has paid all these accusers off.
    And Hillary will lie about starting the H-2 brush fires yesterday…just wait.

  6. Berniel says:

    Trump is a sexual predator, racist, psychopath, hater of women and the disabled, and a businessman who screwed thousands of suppliers, creditors and employees by filing for numerous bankruptcies. He also hasn’t paid any income taxes for decades and in effect hasn’t been contributing to our country’s military. Other than that he is a great guy,

  7. Bumby says:

    Trump start talking about the issues. Ask Hillary what does she mean by open borders? How is she going to have free college education come to fruition? With your backing of the Obama care program, how much will the average family or an individual’s health premium increase by? How did you and your husband amass wealth of over %300 million dollars not having a business that can create such, especially when you and him were in politics for most of your lives?

    Many state how intelligent she is yet when asked questions about her involvement of her many questionable incidents from Benghazi, to the emails that were subpoena, etc., she comes back with statements that I don’t remember, I don’t recall. She has created a new defense scheme for those that get into breaking laws or rules of society and the government. Imagine all the guilty making statements that I can’t remember such, I don’t recall such. With this said a person with a poor memory may lead our nation and make decisions that can be devastating for the American citizens and the people of the world due to a memory recall problem she manifests.

    What is so interesting too is that the mainstream media has become a tabloid promoting Trump as a person you would not want to vote for as our next president. For Hillary slim and none.

  8. paniolo says:

    Hey Trump, I thought you said you have proof that none of this happened. I guess YOU don’t have ANY witnesses, huh? Liar, liar, your wig is on fire…

  9. wave1 says:

    Would someone please explain the lady on the plane that sat next to Trump and said she was attacked? She states Trump attacked her for 30 minutes while seated in first class (flight attendant gave her free up grade from coach) before she requested to be moved back to coach. Now why in heck would she get attacked for 30 minutes before requesting to move. And ladies, how about this, next time Trump comes on too strong, start screaming, slap him several times in the face, punch him in the nose, and throw you drink at him, then report to the police.

    • wave1 says:

      Forgot to mention, kick ’em in the nuts…

      • sarge22 says:

        “Make America Great Again” Trump is in it to win it and it ain’t over yet. The wimpy name callers are out in force and Donald is acting very Presidential. Even the lame duck Kenyan is going after him. That’s another good sign that the sheep are worried that the female felon is in trouble.

      • MillionMonkeys says:

        sarge, go back up and read the article YOU linked. Read it. Don’t be a zombie.

      • MillionMonkeys says:

        Based on his statue (or his hands), there’s not much to kick.

      • oxtail01 says:

        sarge22 was so intelligent that he believed the “birther” stuff right until the day Trump said, “nah…I know Obama was a US citizen…”. With that level of intelligence, is it any wonder he now believes every other “truths” fed him by his beloved Fox and other right wing media? The thing is he’s part of the 30 percent or so of whites who will forever defend the “whiteness” of the country till their last breath. I have no problem with that, that’s what freedom in USA stands for. Let him have his say, he has as much right as anyone on the left (who, by the way, can be just as “truthful” as Sarge). All of us will get our satisfaction after the election, the satisfaction that we voted our conscience and the people have decided for the best for our country. Then there will be no losers among us, just some more happy than others.

  10. den says:

    wait, since when do you label people witnesses without seeing what happened.

  11. WizardOfMoa says:

    Let the past be kept there and move forward to the present and future! Let’s not wallowed with stories of anyone’s past to marred their present behavior. It does nothing but set us all back when the present should be the corner stone to build a better and strong future. Whether both candidates can create our America a backbone before the whole world, Is a quagmire at the present time!

  12. HanabataDays says:

    Who’re ya gonna believe — serial prevaricator Drumpf or your lyin’ eyes?

  13. mctruck says:

    What makes people think that all donald has to do is claim, “it isn’t true?” follow the raping of the 13 year old girl back in 1994 which is still scheduled for court hearing: December 16,2016. read the latest article as well:

    http//www.dailykoa.com/story/2016/10/14/1582055/-Trump-accused-of-raping-a-13-year-old-girl-in-1994

    Read the hand writing on the wall donald.

  14. Ronin006 says:

    Witnesses? Get real. A witness is someone who personally witnesses an act or event. People who merely repeat what they were told are not a witnesses. It is called hearsay and not admissible. The case should be dismissed.

Leave a Reply