How Stormy Daniels Is Using Her Trump Trial Fame To Boost Her Controversial Career

It's strangely poetic that Donald Trump's criminal conviction is bookended by the former president's shady monetary offer to Stormy Daniels and some even bigger financial opportunities for the adult film star. Daniels has been busy unapologetically profiting from her stint in the spotlight as a star witness for Trump's prosecution by promoting her controversial career. However, the career in question might not be the one you're thinking of.

Days after Trump had a very bad hair day at his post-guilty-verdict press conference, Daniels was celebrating a major career coup. "My comedy show in New Orleans is SOLD OUT! But due to demand, a second show has been added on June 20th!" she tweeted. Some of Daniels' very vocal haters seemed convinced that she doesn't have what it takes to be a comedian and responded to her news by trying to crack wise about it. "I would rather stick a pencil in my eye," tweeted one critic. "What are you going to do, read your testimony?" another person snarked. This attempt at a joke fell flat because some of her testimony was actually funny. Daniels took some brutal digs at Trump after taking the stand, and one was met with laughter, according to MSNBC contributor Adam Klasfeld. Defense attorney Susan Necheles had suggested that Daniels wanted to tell the public that she slept with Trump. "Nobody would ever want to publicly say that," Daniels quipped. This wasn't the first time Daniels showed off her comedic chops.

Stormy Daniels is a sharp-witted practitioner of the ancient art of eviscerating Twitter trolls on Donald Trump's old turf. He's also a frequent target of her clever clapbacks. "Stormy Daniels is a parasite that would sell anything for a dollar," wrote one of her detractors. Daniels fired back, "Not true. I wouldn't sell Bibles." This was likely a reference to Trump's custom "God Bless The USA" Bibles, which he sells for $60 a pop. Daniels further proved that she might be better at doing crowd work than viral TikTok comedian Matt Rife when another hater tweeted, "Michael Cohen and @StormyDaniels aka THE HUMAN TOILET are their star witnesses." She replied, "Exactly! Making me the best person to flush the orange turd down."

Daniels first embarked on a comedy tour in 2019. Per The Guardian, her material included a joke about her new career. "I never said I wanted to do standup," she told the audience at an NYC comedy club. "Clearly I do my best work lying down." 

Daniels later told The Guardian that she decided to give comedy a shot while penning her memoir, "Full Disclosure." She wanted to include some humorous stories about her life in the book, but they didn't fit with the tone that her publisher wanted. So, her titter-inducing tales became a comedy routine instead. Daniels also revealed that she writes many of her jokes for the reality dating show she hosts, "For the Love of DILFs."

According to Forbes, Stormy Daniels has likely pocketed a six-figure sum from endeavors related to her alleged dalliance with Donald Trump, such as her memoir and strip club tour. But her new life as a reluctant folk hero has been costly for Daniels, too; she owes Donald Trump $670,000 in legal expenses for a failed defamation lawsuit. She's vowed not to pay it, even if it results in her having to make another appearance in court. "I'll wear a dominatrix outfit to court. It'll make for a festive mugshot," she told Air Mail.

Some users on X suggested that Daniels could use some of the money from her sold-out New Orleans comedy show to pay Trump's attorney's fees, but she wouldn't hear it. In response to her announcement about its success, one netizen asked, "Working double time to pay Trump back?" Her defiant reply read, "Nope."

During her cross-examination in the hush-money trial, Daniels said of her promise to withhold the money that she owes Trump, "I will not pay for telling the truth," notes AP. And if she has to keep fighting her foe to keep him from getting his fingers on that dough, maybe she won't be afraid to do so — she's already overcome one big fear. While talking to The Guardian about doing standup, she said, "It was the most terrifying experience of my life, and that's saying something because I've seen Trump naked."