
Paramount agrees to pay $16m to settle Trump's 60 Minutes lawsuit
Paramount said it would pay $16 million to settle the suit with the money allocated to Mr Trump's future presidential library, and not paid to the US president 'directly or indirectly'.
'The settlement does not include a statement of apology or regret,' the company statement added.
Mr Trump filed a $10-billion lawsuit against CBS in October, alleging the network deceptively edited an interview that aired on its 60 Minutes news program with then-vice president and presidential candidate Kamala Harris to 'tip the scales in favour of the Democratic Party' in the election.
In an amended complaint filed in February, Mr Trump bumped his claim for damages to $20 billion.
CBS aired two versions of the Harris interview in which she appeared to give different answers to the same question about the Israel-Hamas war, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Texas.
CBS previously said the lawsuit was 'completely without merit' and had asked a judge to dismiss the case.
Edward A Paltzik, a lawyer representing Mr Trump in the civil suit, could not be immediately reached for comment.
A spokesperson for Paramount Chair Shari Redstone was similarly unavailable for comment. The case entered mediation in April.
Mr Trump alleged CBS's editing of the interview violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act, which makes it illegal to use false, misleading or deceptive acts in commerce.
The settlement comes as Paramount prepares for an $8.4-billion merger with Skydance Media, which will require approval from the US Federal Communications Commission.
On the campaign trail last year, Mr Trump threatened to revoke CBS' broadcasting licence if elected.
He has repeatedly lashed out against news publications, often casting unfavourable coverage as 'fake news', and has vowed to pursue more claims against media organisations.
The Paramount settlement follows a decision by Walt Disney-owned ABC News to settle a defamation case brought by Mr Trump.
As part of that settlement, which was made public on December 14, the network donated $15 million to Mr Trump's presidential library and publicly apologised for comments by anchor George Stephanopoulos, who inaccurately said Mr Trump had been found liable for rape.
It also follows a second settlement, by Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta Platforms, which on January 29 said it had agreed to pay about $25 million to settle a lawsuit by Mr Trump over the company's suspension of his accounts after the January 6, 2021, attack at the US Capitol.
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