E. Jean Carroll’s Powerful Testimony Against Donald Trump Is Becoming a Movie

A quartet of actresses will bring E. Jean Carroll’s testimony from her defamation and sexual assault lawsuit against Donald Trump to the camera for the first time in the upcoming documentary, E. Jean Carroll V. Donald J. Trump.

Kathryn Hahn, Ellen Burstyn, and Lexi Underwood will all portray Carroll in the film’s reenactments, while Regina Taylor will play Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan. Carroll — a journalist who spent 25 years writing a popular advice column for Elle — accused Trump of raping her at a department store in the Nineties. She brought the civil suit against the former president after he responded to her allegations by calling her a liar and denying he’d ever met her — claims Carroll said were false and defamatory. 

Carroll finally prevailed in the lawsuit earlier this year, first winning $5 million in damages, with a second jury awarding her an additional $83 million for emotional and reputational damage. Trump is appealing both decisions.

Carroll’s own testimony recounting Trump’s alleged attack was a key part of the trial, but as the trailer for the new doc notes, it was not recorded on camera. In the opening moments of the trailer, Hahn, Burstyn, and Underwood bring her words off the pages of court transcripts for the first time, saying together, “I am here because Donald Trump raped me. He lied and shattered my reputation and I am here to try and get my life back.” 

E. Jean Carroll V. Donald J. Trump is set to arrive on Oct. 3. It was spearheaded by the production company Brave New Films, which has made documentaries on other subjects like the Koch brothers, gun violence, and the criminal justice system. 

In a description, the company said, “E. Jean Carroll V. Donald Trump is not just a film; it is a call to action. As Trump campaigns for reelection, it’s crucial that voters understand the truth behind his actions. This film dives deep into the testimony that held Trump accountable in court and gives a platform to the women who have suffered because of him.”