Former model Amy Dorris has accused President Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her during a US Open tournament in September 1997, according to an exclusive report by the Guardian.
Her account is now among more than 20 allegations of sexual misconduct that have been brought against the president, the newspaper reported on Thursday.
Dorris alleged that Trump forcibly kissed her and groped her outside the bathroom of his VIP box at the US Open, allegations that he denied through his lawyers.
Dorris said she was visiting New York City with her then-boyfriend Jason Binn, who introduced her to Trump. Both she and Binn watched the US Open in Trump’s VIP box, and attended events with him in other parts of the city that September. After she went to use the restroom at the US Open, Dorris says, Trump approached her.
“He just shoved his tongue down my throat and I was pushing him off. And then that’s when his grip became tighter and his hands were very gropey and all over my butt, my breasts, my back, everything,” Dorris told the Guardian, adding that she told him to stop. “I was in his grip, and I couldn’t get out of it.”
The publication confirmed that Dorris had told both a friend in the city and her mother about the incident — both of whom corroborated her account. Binn did not offer comment to the Guardian for the article, though Trump’s lawyers say Binn has told them he does not recall Dorris telling him about any inappropriate behavior by Trump. Dorris said she does not remember if she told him about the alleged assault, but tells the Guardian she asked him to tell Trump to back off more broadly.
Dorris said she had thought about coming forward in 2016 but was concerned about the potential backlash she and her family might face. She said she ultimately decided to do so this year, in part because she wants to set an example for her twin daughters. “Now I feel like my girls are about to turn 13 years old and I want them to know that you don’t let anybody do anything to you that you don’t want,” she told the Guardian.
Dorris’s account adds to more than 20 allegations of sexual misconduct that have been levied against Trump
Trump has now faced allegations of sexual misconduct from at least 22 women. He’s also openly bragged about committing sexual assault in a leaked Access Hollywood tape, during which he talked about grabbing women “by the pussy.”
As Vox’s Anna North has reported, the sexual misconduct allegations against Trump span decades, though it appears the Republican Party has been content to keep overlooking them as he runs for reelection this year.
SOURCE: The Guardian UK.