Paramount has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by former President Donald Trump over a 2023 "60 Minutes" interview with then-candidate Kamala Harris.
The settlement, announced Tuesday, ends a months-long legal battle that had raised free speech concerns and involved claims of political bias and deceptive editing.
The money from the settlement will go toward funding Trump's future presidential library and covering legal costs.
Trump and co-plaintiff Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas will not receive any personal payout. Paramount will not issue an apology as part of the agreement.
In addition to the payment, Paramount has committed to releasing transcripts of future presidential candidate interviews aired on "60 Minutes," unless national security or legal redactions are required, CBS News said.
The lawsuit, originally filed in Texas last October, claimed that CBS aired two versions of Harris' interview, each showing a different answer to a question about the Middle East.
Trump alleged the editing was meant to help the Democratic Party ahead of the election. Initially seeking $10 billion in damages, he later raised the amount to $20 billion in February, adding a federal claim of false advertising.
Paramount Global reached a settlement with President Donald Trump, agreeing to pay $16 million, including plaintiff’s fees, over a lawsuit that alleged election interference by the company’s CBS news network.
— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) July 2, 2025
Hannah Miller reports https://t.co/yl3c8tw3xe pic.twitter.com/fvb0J5CMDj
Paramount Merger Could Face Delay Over Trump Interview Fallout
CBS called the claims baseless and defended its editing process. "60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens stood by the interview's integrity before leaving the network in April.
Wendy McMahon, then CEO of CBS News, also departed shortly after, citing a disagreement over the company's direction.
Legal experts criticized the case. University of Chicago law professor Geoffrey R. Stone said CBS was not selling a product and therefore could not be sued under consumer protection laws.
Harvard professor Noah Feldman called the lawsuit "an outrageous violation of First Amendment principles."
Despite criticism, the case entered mediation in April. Paramount Chair Shari Redstone did not take part in settlement talks.
According to USA Today, the lawsuit's timing also affects Paramount's proposed $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media.
The deal, still under FCC review, could be delayed due to concerns over CBS's handling of the Harris interview and the ongoing news distortion complaint related to the same broadcast.
Trump continues to sue other media outlets, including the Des Moines Register, and has said he plans to file more cases.
CBS responded to the FCC's inquiry in March, defending its editorial freedom and warning against government overreach in media regulation.
Originally published on vcpost.com
