In a new two-hour documentary, "Stormy," set to air on Peacock on March 18, adult film star Stormy Daniels shares the emotional toll of her connection to former President Donald Trump, as she gears up to likely testify against him in his upcoming hush money trial. The 44-year-old, who revealed her affair with Trump in 2006, has been bombarded by threats from his supporters ever since, leaving her exhausted and disillusioned.
"I'm desensitized to some of it ... but I'm also tired," Daniels said in the documentary. "Like, my soul is so tired. And I don't know if I'm so much a warrior now as out of f----, man. I'm out of f----."
The documentary paints a bleak picture of Daniels' life since she became a public figure in 2018, when the Wall Street Journal reported on a $130,000 hush money payment from Trump over their sexual encounter. While the public may remember the salacious moments of the largely Trump-era saga, such as Daniels' playfully politically themed stripping tour and her confident proclamation on Saturday Night Live, behind the scenes, she felt like a victim.
In one particularly poignant scene, Daniels learns that her 11-year-old daughter had just ended her school year with straight A's while she was in London for media appearances. Fighting back tears, she says, "Instead of being there with her, I'm here talking about an ex-president's penis."
The documentary also delves into Daniels' first meeting with Trump at a July 2006 Lake Tahoe charity golf tournament, where she was invited to dine with him. Daniels claims that Trump told her she reminded him of his daughter and that she was "really smart." However, she alleges that the encounter took a disturbing turn when she came out of the bathroom to find herself cornered.
"I don't remember how I got on the bed, and then the next thing I know, he was humping away and telling me how great I was," Daniels recalled, adding that the s-- was "awful," but she made it clear, "I didn't say no."
Throughout the documentary, Daniels expresses intense paranoia, recalling a friend telling her that the Republican Party likes "to make their problems go away." She even records a last will and testament, fearing for her life.
The toll of the overwhelming attention and the common belief that she was seeking fame and financial gain becomes apparent as the film progresses. Daniels' family life falls apart, and she finds herself in a financially precarious situation, especially after learning that her former attorney, Michael Avenatti, had been stealing from her.
As the story picks up again in 2023, with Daniels facing the reanimated Trump scandal and his highly consequential criminal trial in New York, the threats against her have become more violent and disturbing. She reads out tweets responding to the news of Trump's indictments, which include direct threats like "I'm going to come to your house and slit your throat" and "Your daughter should be euthanized."
The Stormy Daniels of today, as portrayed in the documentary, is not just overwhelmed but hopeless. "The way that this is different from 2018 is I have more knowledge. The shock of it is not the same," she says. "I'm desensitized to some of it. But they've also become more violent with me. I'm more prepared with my legal knowledge, but I'm also tired. Like, my soul is so tired. And I don't know if I'm so much a warrior now as out of fucks, man. I'm out of fucks."
As Daniels prepares to testify in Trump's hush money trial, the documentary serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of political scandals and the toll they take on those caught in the middle. It also raises questions about the public's perception of Daniels and the darker reality she faces as she continues to be entangled in the Trump saga.
Slate contributed to this report.
