On the January 26, 2024 verdict awarding E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in her second defamation case against Donald Trump, Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” made the amount the target of a joke. Colin Jost said the award showed “that’s how unlikeable he is,” then compared it with O.J. Simpson’s $33 million civil judgment, according to a January 28 report by Yahoo Entertainment.
What Colin Jost said on “Weekend Update”
Yahoo Entertainment reported that Jost framed the size of Carroll’s award as evidence of how unlikeable Trump was, then added: “For perspective, OJ Simpson only had to pay $33 million for a double murder.” The Simpson reference was a comedic comparison about the amount, not an explanation of how the Carroll jury calculated damages.
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This is reported wording from Yahoo’s January 28, 2024 coverage, not a verified official SNL transcript. The available material does not establish an official episode number or provide an official transcript.
What the jury awarded Carroll
The jury returned the $83.3 million verdict on January 26, 2024, in Carroll’s second defamation case against Trump. The formal judgment records an aggregate award of $83,300,000. The Associated Press reported the award’s two main components:
| Damages | Amount | What it covered |
|---|---|---|
| Compensatory | $18.3 million | According to PBS NewsHour, $7.3 million was for emotional harm and $11 million for reputational damage. |
| Punitive | $65 million | Reported as the punitive-damages portion by the Associated Press. |
| Total | $83.3 million | The aggregate award recorded in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York judgment. |
The figures describe the verdict, not the legal reasoning behind Jost’s punchline. The joke’s comparison with Simpson’s civil judgment does not make the two cases equivalent or show that their damages were determined on the same basis.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How this verdict relates to Carroll’s earlier case
The $83.3 million award was separate from an earlier $5 million verdict in another Carroll case. The Associated Press reported that the two awards together amounted to $88.3 million at the time. The January 2024 figure alone is the amount Jost’s comparison addressed.
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After the January verdict, Carroll told the Associated Press: “This is a great victory for every woman who stands up when she’s been knocked down, and a huge defeat for every bully who has tried to keep a woman down.”
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