Porn star Stormy Daniels said Friday’s guilty verdict involving her former lawyer, Michael Avenatti, shows that the Manhattan jury “found his true character.”
“Sadly, it appears what Michael Avenatti did to me was just the tip of an iceberg of deceit,” wrote Daniels, a former client of Avenatti who claims he stole $300,000 from her and forged her signature, on Instagram.
“I am not surprised his dishonesty has been revealed on a grand scale,” she said, after Avenatti was found guilty on all counts for trying to extort up to $25 million from sports-apparel giant Nike.
“His arrogant, fraudulent and overly aggressive behavior became so pervasive that the jury found his true character,” she added of the lawyer, whose case was tried in Manhattan federal court.
Daniels fueled Avenatti’s rise to fame when she hired the loudmouth lawyer to represent her in failed lawsuits alleging she was paid hush money by President Donald Trump over an alleged affair she had with him before his presidency.
The pair fell out when Avenatti allegedly forged her signature and stole money she earned from writing her memoir, “Full Disclosure.”
He is now facing criminal charges related to that case, with a trial date set for April 21.
While Daniels wrote Avenatti’s Nike conviction Friday was “just,” she added that she couldn’t help but feel regretful she’d trusted him.
“I do feel sad for his children and foolish for believing his lies for so long,” Daniels wrote.
A jury convicted Avenatti of attempted extortion, honest-services fraud and the related use of interstate communications. He faces up to 42 years in prison over the verdict, but still has Daniels’ case — plus another criminal matter in California — to deal with.