Stormy Daniels, the former adult film actress and director, has unapologetically fought her legal battles against Donald Trump, yet she has remained silent since taking the witness stand during the trial that made him the first former U.S. president to be convicted. On Thursday, a jury of twelve ordinary citizens from New York found Trump guilty on all thirty-four counts in a case involving falsification of business records to conceal a payment made to buy Daniels' silence before the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton.
After years of trading insults with Trump on social media, including during his four years in the White House, Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, found herself in a position of power. Her testimony, detailing what she claimed was a brief sexual relationship in 2006, was crucial in the lawsuit aimed at demonstrating that Trump feared any leak of the story could jeopardize his campaign.
However, following the trial, the 45-year-old woman has remained unusually quiet. Her husband, Barrett Blade, told CNN that she is “still trying to process it all.” He suggested that her silence may have another dimension, noting, “All the stupid supporters of the 'Make America Great Again' movement will be going after her.”
In a country suffering from deep divides, such fears may not be unfounded. Daniels reportedly wore a bulletproof vest when she arrived at the New York courthouse, as confirmed by her lawyer Clark Brewster in an interview with a local ABC affiliate. Brewster described the atmosphere for Daniels as "sinister and dangerous, regarding the fear of what someone might do." He added, “It’s a real fear.”
Regarding whether those fears have intensified after Trump’s conviction, Brewster said, “That’s a logical conclusion.”
**A Heavy Burden**
Despite the psychological toll, Daniels feels a "sense of vindication because she was telling the truth," according to her husband. Blade mentioned that Daniels did not seek to confront Trump in the courtroom during the Manhattan district attorney's case. The conclusion of the trial brought her relief and "lifted a huge burden off her shoulders." However, the tension is not over yet. Blade noted that the end of the trial "places another burden on her regarding what happens next," adding, "We’re taking it one day at a time."
Daniels had a difficult childhood and became involved in the challenging world of adult film to become a successful businesswoman. In a recent documentary, she stated that while she might appear composed and cheerful on social media, she has been hurt by the constant insults from Trump and his supporters. In the film "Stormy," she recounts being labeled in 2018 with terms like liar, whore, and gold digger.
She added, “Now it’s completely different. These are direct threats, such as: I will come to your house and slaughter you, and I need to carry out euthanasia on your daughter.”
In contrast to her, the other main prosecution witness in the trial, Michael Cohen, Trump’s former assistant, enthusiastically recounted his story after the trial. The attorney, who testified that he was at the heart of the former president's scheme to silence Daniels, appeared on MSNBC and other major media outlets. Cohen told ABC News that "it was draining," adding that he was happy to have gotten through this ordeal. He continued, “I want people to remember that I take responsibility for what I did... I accepted that and went to prison for it.”
