What Does a Woman Have to Do to Be Believed? Sexual Assault, Accountability & Double Standards with E. Jean Carroll | 363

Nov 19, 2025

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When a powerful man says, “She’s not my type,” and a jury (actually, multiple juries) finds that man liable for sexual abuse and defamation, that’s not just a headline — that’s a masterclass in what it takes for a woman to be believed in America.

In this episode, writer, journalist, and Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President author E. Jean Carroll joins Nicole to talk about truth, power, paperclips, and what actually happens when you drag a president into court and win. Twice.

We talk about the facts, the stories we build around those facts, and why so many people will twist themselves into a pretzel to excuse powerful men while shredding women who speak up.

We get into:

What actually happened in court — beyond the headlines, hot takes, and Twitter warriors
How clothes became her armor and why what she wore in court mattered more than you’d think
The “not my type” moment, the infamous deposition photo, and how Trump accidentally proved his own lie
Why her sexual history was dragged into the trial — and how she took back that narrative with joy
Trauma responses, laughter in the dressing room, and why “if you didn’t scream it doesn’t count” is garbage
How mock juries forced her legal team to reckon with ageism, beauty standards, and who we think is “believable”
What she plans to do with the tens of millions awarded in damages — and why giving it away is part of her resistance strategy
The big questions this case raises: What does a woman have to do to be believed? And what does a powerful man have to do to be held accountable?

Because this isn’t just E. Jean Carroll’s story. It’s a mirror held up to how we treat women, power, and truth — and a reminder that one 80-something woman can still change the story for all of us.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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Connect with E Jean:

Book: https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/not-my-type-9781250381682/

Substack: https://ejeancarroll.substack.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/ejeancarroll1/

X: https://x.com/ejeancarroll?lang=en

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