Paramount settles Trump '60 Minutes' lawsuit for $16mn
Paramount did not offer an apology or express regret as part of the settlement, but agreed to release transcripts of "60 Minutes" interviews with future presidential candidates
CBS parent Paramount has agreed to pay $16 million to settle US President Donald Trump's lawsuit over the contents of an interview with then vice president Kamala Harris, media reports said.
The settlement resolves Trump's $20 billion lawsuit against the network over its "60 Minutes" interview with Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign.
The $16 million will go toward Trump's future presidential library rather than to him personally, according to a Paramount statement published by the Los Angeles Times Tuesday.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Paramount did not offer an apology or express regret as part of the settlement, but agreed to release transcripts of "60 Minutes" interviews with future presidential candidates.
Trump sued CBS late October claiming the "60 Minutes" interview with Harris last year was edited to remove an embarrassing response.
CBS maintained that the editing was standard practice.
Legal experts have argued the lawsuit is baseless, and would have been an easy legal victory for CBS if it ever went to court, per constitutional protections for freedom of the press.
Paramount nevertheless entered into mediation in a bid to placate Trump as it seeks to close an $8 billion merger with the entertainment company Skydance, which needs federal government approval.
Trump initially sought $10 billion in damages before amending the lawsuit to $20 billion.
The case prompted resignations at CBS News, with "60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens leaving in April and CBS News chief executive Wendy McMahon departing in May.
