Stormy Daniels

Stephanie A. Gregory Clifford, known professionally as Stormy Daniels, is an American pornographic film actress, director, and former stripper. Born on March 17, 1979, she is recognized for her extensive career in the adult entertainment industry as well as her involvement in a high-profile legal dispute with former U.S. President Donald Trump regarding a non-disclosure agreement and hush money payment, which ultimately led to Trump's 2024 conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Daniels was raised by her mother in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, following her parents' divorce a few years after her birth. Growing up in a lower-income household, she worked at a riding stable during high school. She graduated from Scotlandville Magnet High School in 1997 and initially considered pursuing a career in journalism.

At age 17, Daniels had her first experience as a stripper after performing a guest set at a strip club. She began stripping regularly at the Gold Club in Baton Rouge and became a featured entertainer with the Continental Theatrical Agency in September 2000. She chose her stage name in reference to her father's interest in the name Stormy and her admiration for the rock band Mötley Crüe.

Daniels began appearing in adult films in 2002 for Sin City and Wicked Pictures, and she started directing for Wicked in 2004. That same year, she won the Best New Starlet Award from Adult Video News. Over the course of her career, she received numerous industry honors and was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame, the XRCO Hall of Fame, the NightMoves Hall of Fame, and the Vanity Fair Hall of Fame. In 2018, she embarked on a nationwide strip club tour, was awarded the key to the city of West Hollywood, California, and was later selected to host the 2019 XBIZ Awards.

In addition to adult films, Daniels has made mainstream media appearances. She appeared in feature films such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) and Knocked Up (2007), as well as television shows including Dirt, Party Down, Real Sex, Pornucopia, and The Eric Andre Show. She also appeared on Saturday Night Live in 2018, featured in Maroon 5's music video for "Wake Up Call" in 2007, and served as a model for artist Nika Nesgoda's 2002 photographic series Virgin.

In 2009, a group of supporters formed an exploratory committee encouraging Daniels to run for the U.S. Senate in Louisiana. She officially declared her candidacy as a Republican in April 2010 before ending her campaign shortly after due to financial constraints. In her personal life, Daniels resides in Forney, Texas, is an equestrian who has won multiple blue ribbons, and came out as bisexual in 2019. She has been married four times, including to performers Brendon Miller and Barrett Blade, and has one daughter.

Daniels became the center of international attention in 2018 following disclosures that Trump's attorney, Michael Cohen, paid her $130,000 in late 2016 regarding an alleged 2006 affair. Daniels filed lawsuits against Trump to invalidate the non-disclosure agreement and for libel, though the libel suit was dismissed, resulting in court orders for her to pay over $600,000 in Trump's legal fees. In July 2018, Daniels was briefly arrested at a club in Columbus, Ohio, though prosecutors dropped the charges hours later, leading Daniels to file a federal suit against the city.