Porn star Stormy Daniels has distanced herself from a statement in which she denied having an affair with Donald Trump.
In a previously unpublished 2011 interview which emerged earlier this month, the 38-year-old said she had sex with the US President in 2006, shortly after he married his third and current wife, Melania.
But in a signed statement released by Ms Daniels' lawyer on Tuesday, Ms Daniels denied the affair took place.
“Over the past few weeks I’ve been asked countless times to comment on reports of an alleged sexual relationship with Donald Trump many, many, many years ago,” the statement released by the actor's lawyer said.
“The fact of the matter is that each party to this alleged affair denied its existence in 2006, 2011, 2016, 2017 and again in 2018.
“I am not denying this affair because I was paid ‘hush money’ as has been reported in overseas-owned tabloids. I am denying this affair because it never happened.”
The lawyer confirmed the statement was authentic at the time.
Yet, in another twist, during an interview with American talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! just after Mr Trump's first State of the Union address, Ms Daniels said she did did not know how the document came into existence.
Host Jimmy Kimmel compared the signature on the document with previous examples, noting the apparent disparity between them, before asking her: “Did you sign this letter that was released today?”
“I don’t know, did I?” asked Ms Daniels in response.
“Wait a minute, that you can say, right?” Mr Kimmel said.
“But that does not look like my signature, does it?” Ms Daniels replied.
“It doesn’t look like your signature,” Mr Kimmel said. “So you’re saying, perhaps this letter was written and released without your approval?”
“Hmmm,” Ms Daniels said.
The talk show host then asked her where the letter came from.
“I do not know where it came from. It came from the internet.”
“So you deny having anything to do with it,” Mr Kimmel said.
“I also work for the FBI and I’m a man, according to the internet today,” said Ms Daniels.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal lawyer, has denied there was any affair.
Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported Mr Cohen had arranged a $130,000 (£91,000) payment to Ms Daniels in exchange for her silence about the affair during the 2016 presidential election.
Mr Cohen has denied any payoff occurred, as has Ms Daniels.
