- Trump's hush-money trial went full National Enquirer during a heated cross-examination on Thursday.
- Stormy Daniels rep Keith Davidson was grilled by Trump's lawyer on his salacious previous cases.
Donald Trump's hush-money trial has always had the National Enquirer as its flashy backdrop.
But Thursday's testimony was so chock-a-block with talk of C-list celebrity sex tapes and rehab scoops, it was as if the supermarket tabloid had somehow engulfed the proceeding.
Charlie Sheen, Hulk Hogan, Lindsay Lohan, Floyd Mayweather, Tila Tequila — all were name-dropped in morning testimony.
What explains their cameo appearances on week two of testimony in the only-ever criminal trial of a current or former president?
Turns out each has had a run-in with attorney Keith Davidson, a key prosecution witness who repped both former Playboy Bunny Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels.
Manhattan prosecutors say that Trump falsified 34 business records in order to hide an illegal, election-influencing, 2016 hush-money payment to Daniels.
On direct, Davidson told jurors how both women pursued catch-and-kill cash from the Enquirer for their tales of sex with Trump.
On Thursday, Trump attorney Emil Bove went on the attack.
Bove appeared to have one main mission in cross-examining Davidson — to create distance between Trump and his campaign on one side, and the lawyer's wheeling and dealing on the other.
"You've never met President Trump, correct?" Bove asked Davidson, as his very first question.
"Never," Davidson answered.
"And Tuesday was the first time that you've been in the same room as him, right?" Bove asked.
"That's true," the witness answered.
"You've never spoken to President Trump?"
"Never," he answered.
Scandals and money
Then Bove amped up his attack, with a series of questions suggesting that Davidson, who was a top source of stories for the Enquirer's editor, had made a career of shakedowns and scandal-mongering,
Trump was a victim, not an instigator, in any hush-money schemes, the line of questioning implied.
"What does the word 'extortion' mean to you?" Bove asked Davidson.
"Extortion is the —" Davidson fumbled. "It's the obtaining of property by threat of fear or force," he said.
"When you were negotiating on behalf of Ms. McDougal and on behalf of Stormy Daniels, one of your concerns was staying on the right side of the line with respect to extortion, correct?" Bove asked.
"I suppose," Davidson answered, hesitantly.
At another point, Bove asked, "In 2016, you were well-versed in getting right up to the line, without committing extortion, right?"
"I don't understand the question," Davidson answered after a pause.
And in this context came Thursday's onslaught of C-lister cameos.
First, Hulk Hogan
"Isn't it a fact that in connection with events in 2012, you were investigated by state and federal authorities for committing extortion against Terry Bollea — Hulk Hogan," Bove asked.
Bollea is Hogan's given name.
"That's true," Davidson answered.
Then Davidson was asked about the infamous Hogan sex tape. It was he who pursued Hogan for cash to purchase, and bury, the tape, Davidson conceded.
"At some point in 2012, you reached out to Hulk Hogan's representatives, right?"
"Yes," answered Davidson .
"You made a monetary demand to Hulk Hogan's representative in order to not publish these tapes, correct?" Bove asked.
"No," Davidson answered.
Moments later, as Bove's cross-examination continued, Davidson backpedaled.
"Did you ask for money?" Bove asked.
"There was a monetary demand made," Davidson answered, vaguely.
"Was it for purchase, so that Hulk Hogan could purchase the tapes? The rights to the tapes?" Bove asked.
"Yes," Davidson admitted.
Then, Lindsay Lohan
Davidson said he also represented an employee at the Betty Ford rehab clinic in 2010.
And she "leaked information about the treatment of Lindsay Lohan at a rehab facility, correct?" Bove asked.
Davidson spent a very long pause, taking a sip of water.
"It was reported that that's what she did," the witness answered cautiously.
Bove noted that the story ran in TMZ, and asked "and you had connections at TMZ at the time, right?"
"True," Davidson answered.
"You still do, right?"
"No. Well, perhaps," Davidson answered.
"Perhaps," Bove responded, skeptically.
You helped the former rehab employee get paid in connection with the Lohan leak, Bove then demanded.
"I don't recall," Davidson answered.
"You don't recall that TMZ paid $10,000 around this time?
"I don't recall," Davidson answered again.
Next up: Tila Tequila
"Do you know who Tila Tequila is?" Bove then asked, suddenly, of the reality TV personality.
"I do," Davidson answered.
"And in 2010, you took steps to broker a deal of a sex tape involving her, correct?"
"I believe so," Davidson answered.
Davidson was asked if he worked on that "engagement" with someone named Kevin Blatt— "sort of known as a sex tape broker, is that right?"
"I think that's fair," Davidson answered cautiously.
Bove asked Davidson if he recalled that "Ms. Tequila" was threatened by a man who said if she didn't pay $75,000, the sex tape would be published.
"I don't recall that," Davidson answered.
"You don't recall at the time of that transaction, you were on a 90-day bar suspension?" Bove pressed.
"I don't recall that," came Davidson's answer, once again.
And finally … Charlie Sheen
The topic of the cross-examination then veered without warning to Charlie Sheen.
"You know who Charlie Sheen is, right?" Bove asked.
"I do," Davidson answered.
"And you've represented some clients who you helped get paid by Charlie Sheen, right?" Bove asked.
"I've represented several clients who had claims against Charlie Sheen," Davidson answered carefully.
"And who you extracted sums of money from Charlie Sheen on behalf of, correct?" the Trump lawyer pushed.
Davidson smiled.
"There was no extraction," he answered, adding, "we asserted that there was tortious activity committed and valid settlements that were executed."
Bove asked Davidson to talk about his representation of one Sheen accuser he said "was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time," in 2011.
"You don't recall she was barely completing sentences when you got her to sign the letter" agreeing to Davidson's representation, Bove asked.
"No, I don't recall that," Davidson answered.
Davidson testified he did remember that the woman had been referred to him by Blatt, the so-called sex-tape broker. But he didn't remember if Sheen paid the woman $2 million.
"Is it fair to say that your memory seems a little fuzzy around some of these issues?" Bove asked.
"I've had 1,500 clients in my career," Davidson protested. "You're asking me about events that took place many, many years ago."
"A $2 million payment is a typical payment for you on one of these cases? So much so that you don't remember it? Is that your testimony?" Bove asked, his voice rising in pitch.
"I don't remember a settlement from 13 years ago," Davidson answered.
At another point in the Sheen portion of Thursday's testimony, Bove asked Davidson if he remembered "extracting another settlement from Mr. Sheen" while representing Capri Anderson.
"Again, it was no extraction," Davidson responded.
"You got Mr. Sheen to pay, correct?" Bove asked.
"Assuming arguendo that he did pay and that there was a settlement agreement, that settlement would be confidential," Davidson snapped. "And I would not discuss it here."
"Look," Bove shot back. "We're both lawyers. I'm not here to play lawyer games with you. I'm just here to ask questions and get straight answers."
The judge sustained an objection to this non-question from the prosecution.
Davidson then invoked attorney-client privilege in declining to say if there was a settlement between Anderson and Sheen.
Testimony continues Friday.