George Stephanopoulos, the prominent host of This Week on ABC News, may be out of a job after a defamation settlement involving former President Donald Trump. The deal, authorized by Disney CEO Bob Iger, includes a $15 million payout to Trump, plus an additional $1 million to cover Trump’s legal fees. This settlement stems from a defamation lawsuit filed by Trump earlier this year after Stephanopoulos inaccurately claimed that Trump was “found liable for rape” in the E. Jean Carroll case.
The case revolved around E. Jean Carroll’s 2019 allegations that Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the 1990s. While Trump denied the allegations, calling Carroll a “whack job” and stating that she was “not his type,” a Manhattan jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll, though they did not find he raped her.
Stephanopoulos made the controversial remark during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace earlier this year. In the aftermath, Trump filed a defamation suit against both ABC News and Stephanopoulos, which has now resulted in a sizable settlement and a public apology.
Sources report that Stephanopoulos was blindsided by the settlement and apology, which shocked both ABC News employees and the broader media community. This unexpected move comes as Stephanopoulos’ lucrative contract with ABC is set to expire in early 2025, leaving many insiders wondering if he will continue with the network.
Iger had previously been a strong supporter of Stephanopoulos, helping him secure a new deal in 2020 that also allowed him to produce documentaries for Hulu. However, with the financial strain of paying an anchor $18 million a year and Good Morning America’s declining ratings, it remains unclear if Stephanopoulos will stay with the network following this public fallout.
