Paramount Settles Trump’s Lawsuit Over Kamala Harris Interview for $16 Million on ’60 Minutes’

Paramount has reached an agreement to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit initiated by former President Donald Trump. The lawsuit contended that an interview featuring Trump’s Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, aired on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” was deceptively edited.

The settlement proposal was mediated and encompasses plaintiffs’ fees and costs, with the majority of the funds allocated for Trump’s future presidential library, according to a statement from Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS. Initially filed in the Northern District of Texas, the lawsuit sought a staggering $20 billion in damages.

The terms of the settlement include a release of all claims concerning any CBS reporting up to the date of the agreement, which covers the Texas lawsuit and a potential defamation action. In February, Trump added his former physician, Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-TX, to the lawsuit as a co-plaintiff.

Paramount clarified that neither Trump nor Jackson would receive any direct or indirect financial payment from the settlement. Furthermore, Paramount announced it will change its practices regarding the handling of interviews with presidential candidates.

Moving forward, “60 Minutes” will provide transcripts of interviews with qualifying U.S. presidential candidates once they have aired, subject to necessary redactions for legal or national security reasons. Importantly, Paramount noted that the settlement does not include any statement of apology or regret regarding the matters at hand.

This development coincides with Paramount’s efforts to finalize an $8 billion merger with media production firm Skydance Media. The company reassured stakeholders that this legal matter is entirely separate from the merger process and the corresponding FCC approval.