This legal storm won't die out anytime soon.
Porn star Stormy Daniels filed a fresh lawsuit against President Donald Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen Monday, accusing him of deliberately subjecting her to "hatred" and "shame."
Daniels' latest legal challenge came on the heels of her explosive "60 Minutes" interview, during which she went into extensive and at times embarrassing detail about her alleged affair with Trump.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal California court and obtained by the New York Daily News, charges that Cohen issued a "defamatory" and "false" statement last month about Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
"Just because something isn't true doesn't mean that it can't cause you harm or damage. I will always protect Mr. Trump," Cohen's Feb. 13 statement read in part.
Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti, argued that the statement constitutes defamation because Cohen deliberately tried to portray his client as a "liar" and "someone who should not be trusted."
"Mr. Cohen's statement exposed Ms. Clifford to hatred, contempt, ridicule, and shame, and discouraged others from associating or dealing with her," Avenatti charged.
Avenatti also alleged that Daniels has faced "physical threats of violence" as a consequence.
Neither Cohen nor his counsel immediately returned requests for comment.
Daniels is already battling Cohen in court over a nondisclosure agreement about the claimed affair with Trump that she says should be nulled because he never signed it. Cohen admitted last month that he paid Daniels $130,000 in exchange for her silence, but has refused to explain why or whether Trump ever reimbursed him.
