In the documentary Ask E Jean, journalist and author E Jean Carroll offers an unflinching account of her life, career and groundbreaking legal victories against Donald Trump. The film, directed by Ivy Meeropol, features Carroll’s private deposition from 2022 made public for the first time, where she explains why she sued Trump: “Because he called me a liar. And I couldn’t let it stand.”
Carroll, 82, is the only woman to beat Trump in court, doing so twice. In 2019 she alleged that Trump raped her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in the mid-1990s. The documentary examines why she waited decades to come forward, attributing it to her upbringing in the “silent generation” – women conditioned to endure predatory behaviour with a smile. “We are the chin-up, move-it-on, grin-and-bear-it generation,” she says.
Carroll’s journey to court began when she wrote a list of “hideous men” after being affected by the #MeToo movement. Trump’s response – branding her a liar and “whack job” on the White House lawn – prompted her to sue for defamation. In 2023 a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Carroll $5m. In 2024 a second jury awarded $83.3m for defamation over Trump’s continued social media attacks, though Carroll has yet to receive any money.
Carroll reflects on the ordeal: “When I accused Donald Trump of sexual assault, I had no idea what I was in for. The avalanche of slime has been unbelievable.” The documentary also explores her career as a former Miss Indiana University, contributing editor at Playboy, and advice columnist for Elle from 1993 to 2019.
