Entering her case against Trump with what some see as a vendetta, Daniels found herself in a situation that backfired spectacularly, resulting in significant losses for her. It all began with her quest for legal representation, and here's where Stormy's naivete becomes apparent: she fell victim to Michael Avenatti's schemes from the outset.
In an upcoming documentary, it's revealed that Avenatti demanded $100,000 upfront and won her over with mere flattery.
From OK! Magazine:
"Did you like my speech?" Daniels asks her lawyer in the sneak peek.
"I thought it was f------ amazing, every time you stepped up to the mic," he gushes. "Every time I go out and I talk about you as a person and what you're all about — I don't have to lie, I just tell it exactly how I see it. I'm serious."
"Thank you. Keep saying nice things to me, I'm gonna take my clothes off, 'cause that's my go-to defense mechanism," she jokes.
Daniels also explained how she chose Avenatti as her attorney, noting she was turned down by several other lawyers who weren't interested in taking on a case involving Trump, while others would request a "minimum $100,000 retainer" first.
"When I first met [Michael], I thought he was so generous by not taking more than $100 [thousand] from me," she continued. "He was the only person even willing to not only help me, and champion for me, but believed me."
Despite Daniels' trust and positive rapport with the legal mind, Avenatti went on to steal two installments of the adult content creator's book advance which equaled to $297,500.
He then sent "a fraudulent and unauthorized letter purporting to be from Daniels and appearing to bear her signature, which directed that future payments be sent to a bank account that he controlled" and he "promptly spent the money to satisfy his own personal and business expenses."
As OK! previously reported, Daniels revealed her motivation behind fighting Trump in court in the first place, admitting she did it for "purely f------ selfish reasons."
"I was completely sure that I was going to die," she said, noting how furious Trump's MAGA supporters were with her at the time. "I wasn't trying to be a champion for #MeToo or for any other movement ... I wanted to stand up for myself and save my own a--, not everyone else’s."
