All eyes have been on Stormy Daniels' testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including on what the adult entertainer has worn to court. The New York Times notes she has "dressed for history—and a jury," although, due to no cameras inside the Manhattan courtroom, the public has only been able to see her through sketches and during brief moments as she slips in and out of the State Supreme Court building. Sporting dressy (but not too conservative) attire, as well as "subdued makeup" and varying hairstyles, Daniels "has refused to conform to expectations" on how to look for such a proceeding, considering both her background as an adult performer and precedence on how the appearance of witnesses (especially women) can impact a jury.
"This is especially true for a witness like Ms. Daniels, whose mere job description—porn actress or stripper or adult entertainment writer-director-actor or all the above—comes with a host of deep-seated cultural and social associations and age-old moral levies that shape expectations long before any words are uttered," the Times notes. The paper points out that women testifying in a case where sex figures prominently are usually advised to appear "modest and chaste"; a conservative suit is often recommended.
In Daniels' case, however, dressing that way hasn't seemed to help her in the past in court—in 2018 she lost her defamation case against Trump—with one expert noting it's more important she show "authenticity" rather than conform to generic advice on courtroom dress. "Ms. Daniels is not only a performer, but also a director and a writer," the Times notes. "She understands the power of narrative structure and the telling detail—especially the telling detail of clothes." And "she is willing to challenge the narrative." (More here on what she wore to court this week.)
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Meanwhile, Daniels (real name: Stephanie Clifford) made another statement on Thursday, after court was done for the day, taking to social media for what the Hill notes was an apparent troll of Trump and his lawyers. "Real men respond to testimony by being sworn in and taking the stand in court. Oh ... wait. Nevermind," she wrote on X. As for Trump, he continued to complain about the trial itself on his Truth Social platform, and about Judge Juan Merchan, edging close to being held in contempt yet again, but he hadn't mentioned Daniels specifically as of early Friday. (More Stormy Daniels stories.)
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