Trump Accuser Summer Zervos Was Paid $500,000-Unproven!
Summary of eRumor:
A viral report alleges that Summer Zervos, an “Apprentice” contestant who came forward with sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump, was paid $500,000 by Gloria Allred to fake the story.
The Truth:
These unfounded allegations are based on anonymous sources that can’t be verified.
The story first appeared at GotNews under the headline, “Breaking: Ex-Apprentice #SummerZervos Paid $500,000 by @GloriaAllred to Accuse Trump, Deal Went to Others Too,” accused Zervos of being a “fake rape.” The story beings:
The Apprentice loser and Trump “fake rape” accuser Summer Zervos was bribed $500,000 by Democrat fundraiser and lawyer Gloria Allred to make her accusations against Donald Trump, a deal that was shopped around to other ex-Apprentice contestants too, according to anonymous sources familiar with the matter.
GotNews’ source tells us that Zervos’ sexual harassment accusation against Trump is a “completely fabricated hoax.”
Zervos was paid half a million dollars by Gloria Allred, which is being paid out “slowly over time” according to our source.
The story was quickly picked up and circulated on right-wing websites. Later, the original was updated with a comment from Gloria Allred, an attorney and Democratic booster, who denied the allegations:
Your “tip” is completely false. I have never paid anyone to come forward. Feel free to tell your tipster, who is probably a Trump supporter that I said so.
Zervos came forward in October with allegations that she was sexually assaulted by Trump. Zervos, who was represented by Allred, said Trump groped and kissed her in 2007 when she approached him about a job opportunity, ABC News reports:
“When I arrived, he kissed me on the lips. I was surprised, but felt that perhaps that was just his form of greeting,” Zervos said in a statement that she read, sometimes haltingly and and often with tears. Trump praised her intelligence and attractiveness and said “that he would love to have me work for him,” according to Zervos. He promised to contact her a few days later, when he was in Los Angeles, then sent her off with another kiss on the lips. “This made me feel very nervous and embarrassed,” Zervos said.
“When I arrived, he kissed me on the lips. I was surprised, but felt that perhaps that was just his form of greeting,” Zervos said in a statement that she read, sometimes haltingly and and often with tears. Trump praised her intelligence and attractiveness and said “that he would love to have me work for him,” according to Zervos. He promised to contact her a few days later, when he was in Los Angeles, then sent her off with another kiss on the lips. “This made me feel very nervous and embarrassed,” Zervos said.
After that, Zervos agreed to meet Trump in Los Angeles, at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Trump, she said, greeted her with an “open-mouthed” kiss and pulled her towards him, then kissed her again and put his hand on her breast, as she attempted to push him away.
“Come on man, get real,” she said she told him. Trump “thrusted his genitals” against her. He eventually stopped and their conversation turned to finances, she said. Their evening ended abruptly when he said he was tired, but he then asked her to meet him at his Palos Verdes golf course, Zervos said, and she wondered whether his advances had been “some kind of test,” since it seemed he was still considering her for a job.
Trump has denied Zervos’ allegations.