George Stephanopoulos has just signed a new deal with ABC News after the anchor’s false smears about President Donald Trump cost the network millions in a defamation lawsuit settlement.
According to reports, Stephanopoulos was at the center of a defamation suit that was settled with Trump last week.
However, reports say the timing between the settlement and his new contract was coincidental.
Stephanopoulos reportedly made up to $18 million per year in his previous contract with ABC.
The extension to Stephanopoulos’ contract followed reports of alleged behind-the-scenes drama at the Disney-owned network.
Variety reported that Stephanopolous was “blindsided” by his bosses’ decision to settle the defamation lawsuit.
The outlet said Stephanopolous was “unhappy” with the result.
Network insiders had cast uncertainty about whether the settlement would impact Stephanopoulos’ future at ABC, according to Variety’s report.
However, hours after that story was published, The Los Angeles Times broke the news of the anchor’s extension at ABC.
The lawsuit stemmed from an exchange Stephanopoulos had with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) in March, as Slay News reported at the time.
During his Sunday program “This Week,” Stephanopoulos claimed ten separate times that Trump was found “liable for rape.”
Stephanopoulos was referring to the E. Jean Carroll civil case which did not find Trump “liable for rape.”
Initially, the “Good Morning America” co-host was defiant in the face of Trump’s lawsuit.
He told CBS’s Stephen Colbert that he wouldn’t be “cowed out of doing my job because of a threat.”
“Trump sued me because I used the word ‘rape,’ even though a judge said that’s in fact what did happen,” Stephanopoulos told Colbert.
“We filed a motion to dismiss.”
A judge ultimately tossed ABC News’ motion to dismiss Trump’s lawsuit.
ABC then settled with the president-elect in December before entering a costly trial.
According to the settlement, ABC News will pay $15 million as a charitable contribution to a “Presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for Plaintiff, as Presidents of the United States of America have established in the past.”
Additionally, the network will pay $1 million in Trump’s attorney fees.
Stephanopoulos and ABC News also had to issue statements of “regret” as an editor’s note at the bottom of an article on ABC News’ website.
The note reads, “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J. Trump made during an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”
Liberal critics from rival networks including CNN, NBC, and MSNBC accused ABC News of “bending the knee” to Trump.
