ABC News has signed longtime anchor George Stephanopoulos to a new contract after a lawsuit settlement with President-elect Donald Trump cost the station millions of dollars, according to reports.
Stefanopoulos, who reportedly earned up to $18 million a year in his previous contract, was at the center of a defamation lawsuit he settled with Trump last week, but reports say the timing of the settlement and new contract is uncertain. It was said to have been a coincidence.
ABC News did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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ABC News has signed liberal anchor George Stephanopoulos to a new contract following a $15 million defamation settlement with President-elect Donald Trump. (Getty Images)
Stephanopoulos' contract extension comes after reports of alleged behind-the-scenes drama at the Disney-owned network. Variety reported Stephanopoulos said he was “blindsided” by his boss' decision to settle the defamation suit and was “dissatisfied” with the outcome.
Variety reported that network officials were unsure whether the settlement would affect Stephanopoulos' future at ABC. But hours after that article was published, the Los Angeles Times broke news of the anchor's extension at ABC.
The lawsuit stems from an exchange Mr. Stephanpoulos had with Rep. Nancy Mace, R.S., on his Sunday show “This Week” in March, in which Mr. Stephanpoulos said: , claimed that jurors found Trump “responsible for rape” on 10 separate occasions. In fact, E. Jean Carroll's civil suit found her liable for “sexual abuse,” which is clearly defined under New York law.
George Stephanopoulos did not mention ABC News' settlement with Trump's defamation lawsuit on his show Sunday.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Monday, December 16, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP/Evan Vucci)
Initially, the co-hosts of “Good Morning America” was rebellious “I'm not going to be intimidated into leaving my job,” he told CBS' Stephen Colbert in the face of Trump's lawsuit.
“Mr. Trump sued me for using the word 'rape' even though a judge said it actually happened,” Stephanopoulos told Colbert. “I have submitted the petition requested,” he said.
A judge ultimately denied ABC News' motion to dismiss Trump's lawsuit and settled with the president-elect in December before going to a costly trial.
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ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (RS.C.), falsely stated that former President Trump was found to be “responsible for rape” on multiple occasions. (Screenshot/ABC News)
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According to the proposed settlement, ABC News will pay $15 million in charitable contributions to “Presidential Foundations and Museums established by or for Plaintiffs as established by past Presidents of the United States.” In addition, the network will pay Trump's legal fees of $1 million.
Mr. Stephanopoulos and ABC News also had to publish a statement of “regret” as an editor's note at the end of the article on ABC News' website. The memo states, “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos would like to share with you Donald J. Trump's interview with Congresswoman Nancy Mace on ABC's This Week on March 10, 2024. “I regret the comments I made regarding the president.”
Liberal critics of rival networks such as CNN, NBC and MSNBC accused ABC News of “bending the knee” to President Trump.
