- It comes after Manhattan Justice Juan Merchan ruled Monday that Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, could testify in the upcoming trial
Stormy Daniels is hoping to testify during Donald Trump’s upcoming hush-money criminal trial, saying she wants to come face-to-face with the former president again.
‘I’m absolutely ready. I’ve been ready,’ the former adult entertainer, 44, said on The View on Thursday when asked about the case surrounding an alleged payment by Trump to silence her before he won the 2016 presidential elections.
‘I’m hoping with all of my heart they call me because – as I showed on the stand against Michael Avenatti – I don’t need someone to speak for me, and I relish the day that I get to face him and speak my truth.’
It comes after Manhattan Justice Juan Merchan ruled Monday that Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, former Playboy model Karen McDougal and longtime fixer attorney Michael Cohen could all testify in the upcoming documents falsification case.
Daniels appeared on The View as she continues promoting her new documentary Stormy, which follows her as she navigated her life after the world learned of her alleged affair with the now-Republican presidential candidate.
Stormy Daniels is hoping to testify during Donald Trump ‘s upcoming hush-money criminal trial, saying she wants to come face-to-face with the former president again
Daniels has said she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe
Daniels also discussed her time working with disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti, who is now serving 14 years in prison for dodging taxes and stealing millions of dollars from clients
The entertainer clarified she did not get paid to appear in the documentary, saying that, despite many accusing her of being a gold digger, she has made no money from speaking up about the alleged affair with Trump.
‘What they don’t understand is that as a subject of a documentary, or going on “60 Minutes” where I chose to come out the first time, I made zero ,’ she said.
‘I didn’t get paid anything but it cost me everything.’
Daniels went on to say that while she now receives less hate from Trump supporters than she did when she first came out with her claims, the threats have become much worse.
‘I said to some interviewer they’re more like suicide bombers this time around where they honestly truly believe that they are being patriotic and that I am, like, the devil,’ the former porn star shared.
Daniels also discussed her time working with disgraced attorney Avenatti, who is now serving 14 years in prison after being convicted of dodging taxes and stealing millions of dollars from clients.
‘So another rumor is, no, I’ve never slept with Michael Avenatti. You have to be at least this tall to ride the train,’ she said while showing a height minimum with her hand.
‘I was never alone with him. Not even for five seconds without somebody or I was mic’d or something.
‘For any of you who haven’t seen the documentary watch every clip that Michael and I are in together and watch my face. You can tell even in that one that I’m just like, like I didn’t buy any of his bull.’
When asked by she chose to work with Avenatti if she never trusted him, Daniels said she had no choice.
Stormy Daniels was captured leaving queer bar 3 Dollar Bill in Brooklyn on Monday evening
‘No one would touch my case because they didn’t want to be associated with the adult film business or go against Trump or I couldn’t afford it,’ she explained.
‘He did believe me and only took $100. One of the things that breaks my heart the most about all of this is Michael Avenatti is a brilliant man. He’s brilliant and he’s talented and charismatic but chose to use his powers for evil and that is so sad because he has more power than I could ever hope to have because he is a white man and he didn’t show his wiener on camera.
Daniels then added: ‘He’s probably showing it somewhere else now.’
On Monday, Daniels was seen leaving a showing of the film at a LGBTQ bar in Brooklyn after a judge ruled she could testify at his upcoming hush money trial.
The Manhattan case charged the former president with falsifying documents related to a hush-money payment Cohen delivered to Daniels’ ahead of the 2016 presidential election for her to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump in 2006.
Trump last month asked Merchan to block their testimony, arguing Cohen had a history of lying and would likely lie again, and that Daniels would seek to use the trial to monetize her story.
The judge ruled to give McDougal limited ability to testify, which would be discussed at the trial. McDougal also alleged she had an affair with Trump.
A trial was initially scheduled for March 25, but last week was delayed by at least a month due to a last-minute dispute over evidence disclosure. Merchan is expected to decide on a new trial date after a March 25 procedural court hearing.
Stormy has said she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.
After news broke of the alleged affair and hush payment in 2018, Stormy filed a lawsuit against Trump in March of that year and claimed the non-disclosure agreement she signed was invalid.
A tweet Trump wrote regarding her accusations then led her to file a defamation lawsuit just one month later.
She lost her defamation suit and was ordered to pay nearly $300,000 to Trump in legal fees.
The adult film star went on to lose an appeal, and will now face Trump again in the ‘hush money’ criminal trial on March 18.
The charges – the first criminal charges against the former president – relate to reimbursements made through an LLC to his former attorney and ‘fixer’ Michael Cohen.
Trump has said the payments were legitimate expenses, and not illegally disguised.