Ninni Laaksonen

Ninni Laaksonen and Donald J. Trump: Allegations of Sexual Misconduct

In July 2006, Ninni Laaksonen, a Finnish model and Miss Finland 2006, attended the Miss Universe pageant in Los Angeles, an event owned by Donald J. Trump through the Miss Universe Organization. On July 23, before appearing as a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman, Laaksonen alleges Trump groped her backstage during a photo op with contestants. She told Finland’s Ilta-Sanomat, “He really grabbed my butt hard,” describing the unsolicited act as “shocking” and leaving her feeling violated (Web ID: 3).

Laaksonen kept the incident private until October 27, 2016, when she shared her story with Ilta-Sanomat, becoming the 12th woman that month to accuse Trump of sexual misconduct (Web ID: 3). Her disclosure followed the October 7 release of the Access Hollywood tape, aligning with a surge of allegations during Trump’s first presidential campaign. She noted a pageant staffer’s comment that Trump liked her because she resembled a younger Melania, then his fiancée, adding to her unease (Web ID: 11).

Trump denied Laaksonen’s allegation, along with others, in an October 2016 statement, calling them “totally false” and “fabricated nonsense” meant to sabotage his election (Web ID: 8). At an October 14 rally in Greensboro, he threatened to sue his accusers post-election, a threat never acted upon (Web ID: 11). His campaign dismissed Laaksonen’s claim as baseless, a stance echoed by 2025 X posts from supporters (Post ID: 2).

Laaksonen’s account has fueled scrutiny of Trump’s conduct within his pageant empire, spotlighted in the #MeToo era as part of over two dozen similar allegations. Though she didn’t pursue legal action—citing distance and emotional cost—her story resurfaced in 2023 via a BuzzFeed News retrospective on Trump accusers, linking it to E. Jean Carroll’s civil win (Web ID: 15). It underscores broader concerns about power dynamics in his business ventures.

In 2025, as Trump began his second term on January 20, Laaksonen, now 38, spoke to Helsingin Sanomat on February 10, reflecting on renewed X attacks calling her a “nobody” (Post ID: 5) after his inauguration (Web ID: 3). “I don’t regret speaking out; it’s about truth,” she said, expressing solidarity with Carroll’s 2023 verdict but ruling out lawsuits due to Finnish residency (Web ID: 3). As of March 9, her allegations remain a notable thread in discussions of Trump’s behavior and accountability.