Paramount pays Trump $16 million to settle ‘60 Minutes’ lawsuit

Published on 02/07/2025 - 8:38 GMT+2

Paramount will salary $16 cardinal (€13.57 million) to settee a defamation lawsuit against US President Donald Trump, nan institution said successful a connection precocious connected Tuesday.

Minus nan ineligible fees, nan money will beryllium paid to Mr. Trump’s early statesmanlike library.

Trump sued for $20 cardinal successful damages, claiming that Paramount’s CBS News successful November edited a “60 Minutes” news programme pinch then-vice president Kamala Harris successful a measurement that was deliberately deceptive.

The colony from Paramount does not see an apology though nan show will now merchandise transcripts of early interviews pinch US statesmanlike candidates aft they air.

Harris had responded to a mobility astir nan US narration pinch Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A preview of nan question and reply included 1 answer, while nan afloat section featured an edited response.

The US’ First Amendment gives publishers wide freedoms to find really to coming information. Despite this, Trump based on successful a tribunal filing that nan editing of Harris’ consequence was “doctored to confuse, deceive, and mislead nan American People successful bid to effort and interfere successful nan election”.

Discussions astir a colony prompted nan resignation of nan “60 Minutes” executive producer, Bill Owens, earlier this year. The CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures, Wendy McMahon, besides stepped down.

“[It has] go clear that I would not beryllium allowed to tally nan show arsenic I person ever tally it," said Owens successful a statement to staff.

The colony comes up of Paramount’s yearly shareholders’ gathering connected Wednesday.

The patient is astatine a important infinitesimal arsenic it seeks to merge pinch Skydance Media earlier a 7 July deadline, a waste that requires national approval. The companies tin use from an automatic 90-day hold if needed.

Paramount said successful a connection that nan colony pinch Trump was “completely abstracted from, and unrelated to, nan Skydance transaction and nan FCC support process”. 

The colony of nan “60 Minutes” suit marks nan 2nd clip that Trump has won compensation from a awesome news organisation since his election.

In December, Disney-owned ABC News paid $15mn to settee a defamation lawsuit revenge by Trump against nan web and 1 of its anchors, George Stephanopoulos.

Trump alleged that Stephanopoulos defamed him erstwhile he said during an question and reply that Trump had been recovered “liable for rape”.

A assemblage recovered Donald Trump liable successful a civilian lawsuit for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll successful nan mid-1990s and for defaming her by claiming she was lying to beforehand her book.