A dispute over alleged financial demands and text messages involving Kimberly Guilfoyle has escalated into a legal battle, with Trump donor Eric Deters suing the former ambassador and her legal team in Kentucky state court.

Deters alleges that Guilfoyle asked him to pay approximately $100,000 in American Express credit card charges ahead of her Senate confirmation hearing for the ambassadorship to Greece. He claims the payment was tied to access to top government officials, allegations Guilfoyle has denied.

The lawsuit, filed in Kenton Circuit Court, names Guilfoyle and her attorneys, Jesse Binnall and David M. Schwartz. Deters is seeking monetary damages and a jury trial, arguing that statements made by Guilfoyle and her lawyers damaged his reputation.

The legal action follows Guilfoyle’s resignation as ambassador on Tuesday after the White House asked her to step down. Her departure came after the release of text messages that appear to show communications between her and Deters concerning an alleged arrangement.

In a statement posted on X, Guilfoyle thanked President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio before addressing the allegations against her.

“I also want to address the recent allegations against me. These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity,” Guilfoyle wrote.

She added that she would not allow what she characterized as false accusations to define her decades of public service.

Guilfoyle’s legal team has challenged the authenticity of the text messages Deters provided to media outlets. Her attorneys have also argued that she was owed money for travel and support provided at certain events, describing the disputed balance as legitimate rather than an improper demand.

Deters disputes that explanation, pointing to the messages and arguing that Guilfoyle never claimed he owed her money in their communications.

“Now, they’re claiming that there are invoices when she knows that’s not true. In all the text messages, she doesn’t mention anything about me owing money,” Deters said, according to The Hill.

He also rejected suggestions that the messages were fabricated.

“The texts are not fake. I have never been accused of or charged with blackmail,” Deters said, adding that he disputed the claim that he owed Guilfoyle money.

In a statement addressing the lawsuit, Deters said Guilfoyle and her attorneys had publicly characterized his allegations as false and vowed to defend themselves.

“Kim Guilfoyle and her lawyers claimed my allegations were false and they would defend the allegations vigorously,” Deters said. “Now they can in Kentucky.”

Text messages obtained by NewsNation reportedly appear to show Guilfoyle asking Deters not to disclose their alleged arrangement, warning that doing so could “literally cost me my ambassadorship.” The authenticity and meaning of the disputed communications remain contested.

Trump addressed Guilfoyle’s departure when speaking with reporters, noting her past relationship with his son, Donald Trump Jr. The two were previously engaged, but their engagement ended in 2024.

“She wasn’t a member of my family,” Trump said. “I guess she dated my son a long time ago. She was doing a good job, but we didn’t like what we were reading.”

Guilfoyle previously served as a prosecutor and television personality before becoming a prominent Trump ally. She was married to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, from 2001 until their divorce in 2006. She later married businessman Eric Villency, with whom she has a son; they divorced in 2009.

The defamation case now places the disputed allegations and the public statements made in response before a Kentucky court. The lawsuit does not establish that Guilfoyle sought an improper payment, and the claims remain allegations as the legal proceedings move forward.