The Side Of Stormy Daniels You May Not Know
This article references allegations of domestic violence.
Stephanie Clifford — better known as Stormy Daniels — is famous for being the woman involved in both President Donald Trump's alleged cheating scandal and in the investigation into Trump by the Manhattan district attorney's office. The adult film star first opened up about the alleged affair while speaking to InTouch in 2011, claiming she met the businessman at a celebrity golf tournament five years earlier. Once Trump had his sights set on running for president, his lawyer, Michael Cohen, allegedly sent Daniels $130,000 in hush money and reportedly asked her to sign a nondisclosure agreement to keep her quiet, according to The Wall Street Journal.
What followed next included Daniels suing Trump, claiming their agreement should be voided because he never bothered to sign it, and Trump's lawyer obtaining a temporary restraining order against Daniels to stop her from disclosing "confidential information" regarding their agreement, per NBC News. Messy, messy.
A sitting president being involved in a cheating scandal is nothing new. But, a criminal prosecution against a former U.S. president? Stemming from complications involved in the alleged hush money of said cheating scandal? Yeah, pretty sure that could be a first. So who exactly is this blonde bombshell that had the White House in a frenzy? Let's take a closer look at the side of Stormy Daniels you may not know.
She performed well in school
Don't let her occupation fool you. Stormy Daniels claimed to be quite the intellectual in an interview with "Adult DVD Talk." The entertainer chatted about her upbringing and what it was like to attend a Magnet School. "In Louisiana, you actually have to be accepted, you have to have a certain grade point average or they kick you out," she said. Thankfully, that wasn't a problem for her. "I also graduated in the top 10% in the country of all high school students and I had several college acceptances," she claimed.
Even though her grades were on point, Daniels admitted, "I was smart but I hated school though that was the weird thing. I wonder how well I would have done if I had actually tried because I had really good grades without even trying." Speaking to The New York Times in 2018, she admitted that she felt as though she didn't really stand out in school, stating, "I wasn't like the popular girl, and I wasn't the jock, and I wasn't the ditz. I don't know. I was just sort of in the middle of the road." Still, her grades made her stand out enough that she claimed that various universities offered her scholarships, including Texas A&M and Mississippi State, but Daniels had other plans.
She started dancing when she was underage
When she was just 17, Stormy Daniels made the decision to leave her family home behind and move in with her then-boyfriend to embark on a new life. It was then that she made the leap into the adult entertainment business as an exotic dancer. Speaking to The New York Times, Daniels revealed that she was visiting a strip club with a pal when she was encouraged to take to the stage herself. She thought the experience would be terrifying — but instead, it turned out to be empowering. "There were like three people in the club, and I made enough money on two songs to make more than I did all week answering phones at the riding stable that I worked at," she revealed.
When "Adult DVD Talk" asked Daniels if stripping while underage was a mistake, she replied, "For me personally, I don't think it was a mistake because I never took it to a bad place. But I think it is very, very easy for a stripper especially one who is young to take it to a bad place." Daniels was also able to use her tips to create a wonderful life for herself, stating, "I own my own house, I own my own car, I own my own business. My credit is excellent." The job also gave Daniels her stage name. While a Jack Daniels billboard inspired her surname, her first name came from her love for the rock group Mötley Crüe whose bassist, Nikki Sixx, called his daughter Stormy.
Her implants are bigger than she anticipated
It's not uncommon for an adult entertainer to go under the knife for a breast augmentation, but Stormy Daniels never intended to go so big. Initially a size 36 B, the star reportedly wanted to become a full D cup. "When I awoke from my surgery they were triple this size since they were swollen," she told "Adult DVD Talk." Six weeks after the surgery, Daniels said she was trying on D-cup bras at Victoria's Secret, but none of them would fit. Darn.
She headed back to the doctor, and that's when he revealed the news: "He was very reluctant to inform that instead of the 450 CC's I had asked for he gave me 575 CC's. And I was like, 'Why did you do that to me?' and he said, 'Because I know you are the type of girl that would come back in six months to a year and say make me bigger and I didn't want to cut you twice.'"
Well, it turns out he was right. Although Daniels thought her girls were enormous, she ultimately concluded, "I like them so I guess it all turned out okay." Additionally, as she told NPR, her breasts — which she affectionately calls Thunder and Lightning — were also a sound investment. "I am a firm believer in capitalism," she said. "And I noticed that the girls at the Gold Club who invested in breast implants got more tips." Doctor knows best!
She's more than just a performer
Most news headlines refer to Stormy Daniels as an adult film star, but she's far more involved in the industry than people give her credit for. The performer signed her acting contract with Wicked Pictures in 2002, and just two years later, she was hopping behind the scenes to make her directorial debut. She has since gone on to write screenplays for the company, as well. Due to all of her titillating work behind and in front of the cameras, she was inducted into the Adult Video News Hall of Fame in 2014 — one of the highest honors for those who've achieved great success in the industry.
She isn't pigeonholed to this industry either. Daniels has managed to get involved in other mainstream projects, such as directing music videos and acting in major motion picture films, including "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up."
In fact, one of her co-stars in those films, Seth Rogen, claimed that she had told him about her alleged affair with Donald Trump long before the claims hit the press. During a 2018 appearance on "The Ellen Show," the comedy actor explained that he didn't expect the allegations to do much damage to the businessman-turned-president's reputation. "At the time, when you ask a porn star who they've been sleeping with and the answer was Donald Trump, it was like the least surprising thing that she could've said," he joked. So, let's just call her a quadruple threat — actor, writer, director, and badass!
She's been married four times
It seems Stormy Daniels picked the perfect stage name because "stormy" is the best way to describe her love life. She was briefly married to adult entertainer Pat Myne from 2003 to 2005. However, in 2007, she subsequently married Michael Mosny, who goes by the stage name Mike Moz, in 2007, only to divorce two years later.
Daniels officially tied the knot with her third husband and baby daddy, Glendon Crain, also known as Brendon Miller, in 2015. Three years earlier, she told the Daily Beast, "He is great with our daughter ... He will take her to the bathroom in a restaurant and change a dirty diaper." However, Crain filed for divorce in July 2018. He also requested sole custody of their daughter, Caden, and alleged that adultery was the reason for the split, per The Guardian. However, they were later awarded joint custody.
Daniels wed her fourth husband, Barrett Blade, in 2022. An adult film star, he's become something of a regular fixture on Daniels' Instagram. On December 28, 2022, she shared a selfie with Blade, which she captioned, "When you marry your best friend, life is always going to be good ... even on the days it's hard." Hopefully, fourth time's the charm, as Daniels and Blade look very happy together.
Stormy had a tumultuous relationship with Michael Mosny
Stormy Daniels found herself at the center of some major drama in July 2009 when she was arrested for domestic violence, per the New York Post. Her then-husband Michael Mosny told police that Daniels had been upset about the manner in which their laundry had been done, as well as some bills that had gone unpaid. He then accused his then-wife of physical violence and of flinging various household items onto the floor, including a potted plant and their wedding photo album. Per HuffPost, in the police report, Daniels denied hitting Mosny but confirmed that she threw the household items around.
But that incident was just the start of Daniels and Mosny's high-profile issues. Following their breakup, TMZ reported that Daniels was requesting an order of protection against Mosny, claiming he attacked her and her then-fiancé at a red carpet event and was wreaking havoc on their lives. According to the tab, "Mosny also got her new fiancé fired from his job ... after threatening the man's employer. Stormy claims Mosny even tried to have a friend steal her car."
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
She isn't your average mom
Stormy Daniels shocked her fans when she revealed that she's the mother of a little girl. According to a 2012 interview with the Daily Beast, Daniels and her ex-husband, drummer and part-time adult film star Glendon Crain, didn't think they wanted to have children, but after a few months of dating, the urge to have a baby kicked in. Her journey to motherhood wasn't easy. "I had to work really hard and prepare a lot to have a baby because I'm not like a normal mom," she said. "I can't work while I'm pregnant. I did two years of work in one year."
All of the planning paid off, and after the birth of their daughter, Caden Crain, the former couple settled into quite a normal family life. "We have this smart, amazing, beautiful daughter that is awesome," she said at the time. "The three of us go to Gymboree class for music."
In 2020, Daniels claimed that somebody broke into her home and attempted to kidnap Caden. Sharing the shocking allegations in a series of posts of Twitter, she claimed that after attempting to report the crime to the police, she was refused access to a detective because she used a valid passport rather than a driver's license for identification. "I went to the police station and they wouldn't even let me speak to a detective," she wrote. "A f***ing child predator has my address and tried to take my kid."
She was this close to becoming Senator Daniels
In her home state of Louisiana, Stormy Daniels had her eye on a U.S. Senate seat. A website called Draft Stormy (via CNN) was reportedly created by an adoring fan named Zack Hudson, who believed she was the right woman for the job. "[We need] a representative that we can be proud of, who will work tirelessly, and who will challenge the status quo," the website urged. "We at the Draft Stormy campaign feel that Baton Rouge native Stormy Daniels is best suited to fulfill these duties."
Maybe Daniels didn't have political aspirations before, but with many of her fans lending their support, she decided to give politics a shot. But not everyone was happy about her decision to run. A spokesperson for the Louisiana GOP told CNN, "[Voters are] concerned with real issues that affect their everyday lives and not with political or publicity stunts." Ouch.
While Daniels declared herself a Republican in 2010, she backed out of the race that same year. "I am not running for the U.S. Senate for the same reason that so many dedicated patriots do not run — I can't afford it," she said in a statement (via Politico).
Her former lawyer Michael Avenatti embezzled money
Michael Avenatti became a household name when he represented Stormy Daniels in her defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump, per NBC News. He hit the headlines once again in June 2022 when he was sentenced to four years in prison for stealing approximately $300,000 from the profits of Daniels' book advance from her, per The Guardian.
However, that was far from the end of the scandal. In December 2022, while he was serving time for cheating Daniels out of dollars, CNN reported that Avenatti had been sentenced to a further 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to committing wire fraud against four of his clients. He also pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing the IRS, after allegedly pocketing $5 million in unpaid payroll taxes under the guise of a coffee company. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $11 million in restitution to his victims.
Following news of his sentencing, US Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement published by CNN, "Michael Avenatti was a corrupt lawyer who claimed he was fighting for the little guy. In fact, he only cared about his own selfish interests." While Avenatti had initially helped Daniels by filing her case against Trump, he eventually proved to be untrustworthy, which can't have been easy for the "Full Disclosure" author.
Stormy Daniels initially denied her affair with Donald Trump
In 2023, an old statement made by Stormy Daniels started making the rounds again, in relation to Daniels' alleged affair with Donald Trump. As reported by USA Today, a conservative commentator called Jack Posobiec re-shared an "Official Statement from Stormy Daniels" from January 30, 2018, in which she seemingly denied ever having an affair with the former president. Posobiec captioned his Instagram post, "Breaking: Signed official statement of Stormy Daniels admits affair never happened and that she was not paid 'hush money.'"
While the statement started being widely shared online, Posobiec's post appeared to be lacking some key background details. Crucially, Daniels had already insisted that this statement was a lie — one she allegedly felt forced to sign off on due to a non-disclosure agreement she'd signed. FactCheck.org also debunked the statement as being an old document that Daniels has since discussed on multiple occasions, including during her appearance on "60 Minutes." When host Anderson Cooper asked why she had signed it, she told him, "Because they made it sound like I had no choice." While critics continue to attempt to discredit the porn star, it would seem that this particular statement is simply old news.
She's been lauded as a 'feminist hero'
Stormy Daniels has faced much criticism throughout her career, but it seems as though the tide might finally be turning. In March 2023, Lauren Leader wrote an opinion piece for Politico in which she posed the question, "Stormy Daniels, Feminist Hero?" Outlining the impact of the adult film star's refusal to stay silent about her alleged tryst with former President Donald Trump, the writer noted how Daniels had cleared a path for other women involved in political sex scandals to take control of their narratives. "She's coming out on top, while men involved in the Daniels-Trump scandal have either ended up in jail or are now at risk of being indicted," Leader wrote. Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen and Daniels' own attorney Michael Avenatti have both been sentenced to prison, while Trump himself was indicted in March 2023, per the BBC.
Daniels' decision to speak out about her alleged experiences, and not back down in her fight against Trump, has seemingly made her an icon. In March 2023, the Independent even asked, "How did a porn star become one of the most powerful people in politics?" Indeed, thanks to the criminal prosecution case being led against Donald Trump — and the alleged evidence against him stemming from her purported hush money — the spotlight was suddenly shining even brighter on Daniels.
Donald Trump is facing charges related to Stormy Daniels
When Stormy Daniels alleged that she'd been paid hush money by Donald Trump to cover up an affair they'd allegedly had, she likely had no idea what would happen next. As reported by NPR, Trump was said to have paid Daniels $130,000 ahead of the 2016 election race in an attempt to silence her, so as not to negatively impact his presidential campaign. While it's taken several years to come to fruition, in 2023 a New York grand jury indicted the former president for allegedly declaring the purported payment as a business expense, per the BBC. While the payment was legal, falsifying business records is not — at least, not in New York — which means that Trump's admission that he did indeed authorize the payment landed him in hot water.
The BBC also reported that the former host of "The Apprentice" is facing additional legal challenges concerning accusations that he mishandled classified documents during his time as president, that he played a role in inciting the 2021 Capital Riots, and that he'd attempted to invalidate the 2020 election. Prosecutors were also said to be looking into the finances of Save America, according to NPR. In 2019, Trump was fined $2 million for allegedly misusing donor funds of the political action committee, per the New York State Attorney General. While Daniels plays only one small part in the case, it's pretty remarkable that her story has had so much influence.
Stormy says her phone records are pretty damning
While supporters of Donald Trump will likely attempt to discredit Stormy Daniels, the adult entertainer is coming through with receipts. Part of the case against the former president relates to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen. According to AP, he was said to have been reimbursed $420,000 by the former president, in payments that were filed as legal expenses. These payments were related to the alleged hush money paid to Daniels. Additionally, they were also allegedly tied to money used to preventThe National Enquirer from running a story regarding Trump's alleged affair with Karen McDougal, a Playboy model.
However, a 2018 letter acquired by the Daily Mail suggested that the lawyer wasn't reimbursed for the payment, despite his own sworn testimony to the contrary. Still, Daniels has claimed that she has phone records that will help to prove the case in court.
In March 2023, Daniels took to Twitter to reveal, "I've been handing over phone records to my attorney today (they're gonna hurt!) and planning spring break activities with my kid. It was a wonderful day." It would seem as though the porn star is cooperating fully in the case against Trump, and she has no qualms about sharing her personal information when it's needed.
Stormy Daniels isn't backing down
Over the years, Stormy Daniels has faced some heinous accusations. Now that Donald Trump has been indicted, her narrative is being given the credence it deserves, and the adult entertainment director isn't about the backdown. It's hard to imagine just how much hate mail Daniels is receiving right now from Trump supporters, but luckily, it doesn't seem to phase her. On Twitter in March 2023, she retweeted a crass meme featuring a composite image of Trump riding her like a horse, in which the user asked her, "This you?" She smartly responded, "It is! Giving him a ride straight to jail. See how sweet I am?"
Following news of Trump's indictment, Daniels posted another message to her supporters on Twitter, writing, "Thank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond ... also don't want to spill my champagne." When a Twitter user asked Daniels why she was seemingly so obsessed with the former president, she didn't miss a beat, joking, "I only respond when he posts about me or talks about me on TV ... and only a fraction of that. He probably watches my movies on repeat which may be why he has so many typos." While the road ahead is sure to be bumpy, the multi-hyphenate may just be savvy enough to handle anything life throws at her.