Central Park Five Defamation Case Against Trump Advances in Court

A federal judge has allowed a defamation lawsuit by the Central Park Five against Donald Trump to proceed. Filed by the five men exonerated in a 1989 case, the suit accuses Trump of false statements made during his campaign. The case seeks damages for defamation and emotional distress.

In a significant legal decision, U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone permitted a defamation lawsuit filed by the Central Park Five against former U.S. President Donald Trump to move forward. The lawsuit alleges that Trump made false defamatory statements about the five men during his 2024 presidential campaign.

The plaintiffs—Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron Brown, and Korey Wise—were wrongfully convicted and later exonerated of the 1989 rape of a jogger in Central Park. They are now pursuing unspecified damages for reputational harm and emotional distress. The lawsuit was filed in response to Trump's claims that the men had killed someone and pleaded guilty, which the plaintiffs contend were false.

The case, however, saw some narrowing when claims of intentional infliction of emotional distress were dismissed. Trump's legal team argued that his statements were protected under the First Amendment, but the judge ruled that the statements could be objectively determined as false. This latest development follows Trump's controversial history with the Central Park Five, dating back to a 1989 advertisement he placed calling for the death penalty's reinstatement.

(With inputs from agencies.)