E. Jean Carroll says $83 MILLION defamation win against Trump is 'a huge defeat for every bully who has tried to keep a woman down'

The author, 80, also felt that the ruling stands as a 'great victory for every woman who stands up when she's been knocked down'Carroll broke down in tears as she was awarded $83.3 million on Friday, tens of millions of dollars more than anticipated  Trump slammed the ruling as 'absolutely ridiculous', as his lawyer Alina Habba issued a scathing rebuke of the justice system on the steps of the courthouse  

E. Jean Carroll has said her $83.3 million defamation lawsuit victory over Donald Trump is a ‘huge defeat for every bully who has tried to keep a woman down.’

A civil court jury last year found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in a Manhattan department store, with his comments after the decision leading to a defamation trial that concluded Friday.

Carroll was initially only seeking $10 million in damages, but her attorneys upped the ante on Friday as they told the jury that ‘the only thing (Trump) cares about is money.’

After celebrating her win, Carroll also said it was a ‘great victory for every woman who stands up when she’s been knocked down.’

E. Jean Carroll is seen on Friday leaving the court in Manhattan having won $83.3 million from Donald Trump

Trump is seen leaving Trump Tower on Friday to travel to the Manhattan courtroom

Carroll made the comments in a statement through her attorneys two hours after the decision was handed down.

Her attorney Robbie Kaplan added that the verdict ‘proves that the law applies to everyone in our country, even the rich, even the famous, even former presidents.’

‘There is a way to stand up to someone like Donald Trump who cares more about wealth, fame, and power than respecting the law,’ he continued.

‘Standing up to a bully takes courage and bravery; it takes someone like E. Jean Carroll. We thank the jury for standing up for E. Jean and the rule of law.’

Trump was ordered to pay the sum as he accused Carroll of lying when she accused him of sexually assaulting her in the department store bathroom in the 1990s, and has consistently insisted that he never even met her.

The huge damages handed down on Friday came as a surprise even to Carroll, who broke down in tears and embraced her legal team as she won tens of millions more than expected.

Carroll, and her lawyers Roberta Kaplan and Shawn Crowley, glanced excitedly at each other as the judge queried what the ‘m’ on the jury’s verdict form signified.

‘Million,’ the foreman replied.

Carroll became teary after the jury foreman read out the decision.

She and her legal team then composed themselves as the judge wrapped up the proceedings – while Trump’s legal team looked stunned and stoney-faced.

Trump was already en route to the airport when the ruling came in, as he is set to jet to Nevada for his next campaign event in the Republican primaries – while continuing to paint the legal cases against him, including Carrolls, as politically motivated.

The former president has already vowed to appeal the verdict and called the case a ‘Biden Directed Witch Hunt.’

The author broke down in tears and hugged her attorneys as the ruling was handed down (seen in a court artist’s depiction on Friday)

E. Jean Carroll, in white, is seen with her friends and legal team leaving the court in Manhattan on Friday evening

Donald Trump’s defense attorney Alina Habba said she was ‘proud’ to defend the former president as tore into the justice system following the $83.3million E. Jean Carroll verdict

Outside the courthouse, Trump’s attorney Alina Habba issued a scathing rebuke of the trial, tearing into the justice system that she sees as being ‘weaponized.’

The lawyer, who Judge Lewis Kaplan threatened to ‘lock up’ for her outbursts during closing arguments on Friday, said her client is being targeted because he is leading in the polls.

Habba, who has defended Trump in multiple New York cases, told the media she wasn’t allowed to bring in evidence and claimed one of her witnesses was paid by the law firm of Carroll’s attorney.

‘I’m not having any second thoughts representing President Trump’, Habba told journalists in an impassioned speech as she walked out of Manhattan Federal Court, moments after the damages were read out in court.

‘It is the proudest thing I could ever do,’ she added.

‘I have sat on trial after trial for months in this state… and now we see what you get in New York.

‘I am so proud to stand with President President Trump. But I am not proud to stand with what I saw in that courtroom.

‘Before I walked into court, that judge decided that every single defense President Trump had, we were not allowed to raise in front of the jury.

‘It is in writing and I encourage the journalists, the real journalists to take a minute to look at his orders.’

Trump is seen walking out of the courtroom (alongside Habba in the blue) at the start of closing arguments on Friday

Trump, pictured heading to court on Friday morning, has already said he will appeal and called the verdict ‘absolutely ridiculous’

Trump blasted the verdict minutes after the jury hit him with an $83.3 million damage award

While his attorney lambasted the proceedings from outside the courthouse, Trump took to Truth Social to offer his own take on the verdict – declaring there was ‘no longer Justice in America.’

He derided the ruling as ‘absolutely ridiculous’, adding: ‘Our Judicial System is Broken and Unfair!’

‘I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party,’ he continued.

‘Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a Political Weapon. They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!’ He did not provide evidence that President Biden directed Carroll’s decision to seek monetary damages after Trump called her a liar and a ‘whack job.’

He followed up with another furious post later Friday evening. ‘There is no longer Justice in America. Our Judicial System is Broken and Unfair!’ he posted.