Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is a Louisiana-born adult film star and director. She has won multiple awards for her movie work and even made appearances in mainstream Hollywood films, including comedies like The 40-Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up.
Interestingly, she also dabbled in politics and previously declared herself to be a Republican, the same party as Donald Trump.
The relationship between Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump, the former President of the United States, gained significant media attention in 2018.
The Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump Scandal
This scandal involves several key elements:
- Affair Allegations: Stormy Daniels claimed that she met Donald Trump at a charity golf tournament in July 2006. According to her, the two had sex once in his hotel room at Lake Tahoe, a resort area between California and Nevada. At the time, a lawyer for Trump vehemently denied this allegation.
- Hush Money Payments: Just days before the 2016 election, Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, allegedly paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 in “hush money” to keep her quiet about the affair. The payment was made through a shell company linked to Cohen. Daniels says she accepted the money because she was concerned for the safety of her family. She claimed she was legally and physically threatened to stay silent.
- Legal Battle: The scandal led to legal battles. Daniels risked a million-dollar fine by speaking on national television about the affair. She recalled an incident where an unknown man approached her and her infant daughter in a Las Vegas parking lot, warning her to “leave Trump alone.” Meanwhile, Cohen threatened her with a $20 million lawsuit, arguing that she had broken their non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
- Trump’s Denial: Since the allegations surfaced in 2018, Donald Trump has consistently denied any sexual involvement with Stormy Daniels. His wife, Melania Trump, was not present at the golf tournament and had just given birth at the time of the alleged affair.
- Trump’s Criminal Trial: Currently, Trump is on trial over charges related to hush-money payments and allegedly falsifying business records to bury the story during his 2016 campaign for the US presidency. He is the first former US president to stand criminal trial.
Overall, the relationship between Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump became a focal point of controversy and scrutiny, highlighting broader issues related to ethics, transparency, and accountability in politics.
To amply information:
BBC News – Who is Stormy Daniels, and what happened with Donald Trump?