Appearing on CNN Monday, legal analyst Paul Callan commented on the merits of Stephanie Clifford's defamation lawsuit filed Friday against President Donald Trump. Clifford, known by her stage name Stormy Daniels, brought suit after a Tweet by Trump accused Clifford of lying.
Callan stated the case would be extremely difficult to win. Later that evening on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, host Cooper asked Callan directly:
Just because somebody is an adult film [star], they cannot be defamed?"
With Clifford's lawyer Michael Avenatti seated next to him, Callan stated:
As a matter of principle, you're probably right: Someone who's made 500 pornographic films can be defamed, in theory. But you put 12 ordinary people on a jury and say to them, 'Award her money because someone called her a liar,' I think you'd have a hard time getting a substantial damage award. Now, maybe you'd get a symbolic award, sometimes jurors say will award a dollar in damages to send a message that we won't tolerate this sort of thing, but actual damages justifying all of the effort that's gone into this lawsuit, I don't see it -- which means the lawsuit is a publicity lawsuit and a publicity stunt."
Avenatti commented on the exchange on Twitter Tuesday.
Watch the clip - Paul Callan appeared on @ac360 last night prepared to attack my client by citing what she does for a living and the titles of some of the movies she has appeared in, all of which has NOTHING to do with our case. Victim shaming at its best.https://t.co/pb4Gz8ybK8
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 1, 2018
Clifford's lawyer also responded to a Tweet calling Callan's statements chauvinistic.
PAUL CALLAN is back on .@CNN, repeating his misogynist, chauvinist pig mantras about .@StormyDaniels.
RATHER COWARDLY. Now he appears to be actively tearing down case filed by .@MichaelAvenatti.#BASTA Callan. #BASTA! — C'estMoi! (@mostwiselatina) May 1, 2018
It is shocking to me that "legal analyst" Paul Callan is yet again repeating what he stated last night on @AC360 @cnn - that my client is not entitled to defend herself against defamation because she is an adult film star. This mentality is how we ended up with Harvey Weinstein. https://t.co/7E0oO6Ix3R
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 1, 2018
Avenatti was not alone in taking exception to Callan's remarks.
CNN's Paul Callan just said that Stormy Daniels defamation lawsuit against Trump might be thrown out just because Stormy Daniels day job is as a pornstar. Mr. Callan, Trump, was once a reality TV show host before he became president. You're not Nostradamus.
— Pablo Kutter (@Mossimo77) May 1, 2018
Paul Callan was very petty and judgmental. Stormy Daniels deserves respect like anyone else regardless of whether Paul has a problem with it or not. It was a shameful, victim shaming display by someone who should know better
— voir le monde 🏳️🌈 (@avec_empathie) May 1, 2018