Days after a multi-million dollar settlement ABC News was re-upped its contract with George Stephanopoulos.
Stephanopoulos, who reportedly made up to $18 million per year in his previous contract, was at the center of a defamation suit that was settled with President-elect Donald Trump last week.
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 and that he was “unhappy” with the result.
Network insiders had cast uncertainty 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.
Trump filed a defamation suit against Stephanopoulos after he asserted that Trump was found “liable for rape” in a civil case during a contentious interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) last March.
After playing a clip of Mace discussing being a victim of rape, Stephanopoulos asked her, “How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw?”
“You’ve endorsed Donald Trump for president. Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for rape and for defaming the victim of that rape,” Stephanopoulos said, alluding to the legal victory by Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll.
Stephanopoulos repeated that claim ten times during his spat with Mace, despite the fact that a jury actually determined Trump was liable for “sexual abuse,” which has a distinct definition under New York law.
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.”
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George Stephanopoulos should be fired!