Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham sued Republican Rep. Max Miller of Ohio in early July 2026, accusing him of violating a confidential settlement agreement by making public statements that disparage her while defending himself in a separate dispute with his ex-wife.
Grisham’s lawsuit, filed July 7 in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, alleges that Miller broke a non-disparagement clause in a 2023 settlement that resolved his earlier defamation lawsuit against her. According to the complaint, Miller has violated the agreement at least three times through public statements made in May and June 2026.
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The core dispute traces back to 2021, when Grisham, who served as Trump’s White House press secretary, published a Washington Post op-ed and memoir titled “I’ll Take Your Questions Now” in which she alleged that an unnamed ex-boyfriend who worked in the Trump administration had physically abused her. Though she did not name Miller in the piece, Grisham later confirmed in interviews that she was referring to Miller, with whom she had dated from 2019 to 2020. Miller categorically denied the abuse allegations and sued Grisham for defamation, seeking damages exceeding $25,000. In August 2023, Miller voluntarily dismissed the suit after reaching a confidential settlement with Grisham that included a mutual non-disparagement clause.
Miller’s recent statements, according to Grisham’s lawsuit, violated that agreement. On May 7, 2026, Miller posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was sharing a recording where his ex-wife Emily Moreno “admits 1. Everything alleged by Stephanie Grisham was fabricated and 2. I have never done anything to harm her.” The lawsuit argues that the 44-second audio clip contains no such admission. In a June 5 interview with Spectrum News, Miller stated that his ex-wife “will tell you that I never did any of those things,” referring to Grisham’s allegations—a statement Grisham’s lawyers characterize as a reaffirmation that she fabricated her account.
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Grisham’s lawsuit also alleges a third breach involving confidentiality itself: court filings in Miller’s separate lawsuit against Moreno referenced specific provisions of the Grisham settlement that were known only to the parties and their lawyers and were not otherwise public. The complaint seeks monetary damages for each breach, an injunction barring Miller from further violations, attorney’s fees, and a declaration that Miller breached the confidential agreement. It does not specify a dollar amount but notes that the original settlement agreement listed specific damages for each breach.
Miller is currently embroiled in a custody dispute with his ex-wife Emily Moreno, the daughter of Republican U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio. Moreno has accused Miller of domestic abuse, including allegations that he scalded, hit, and threatened her during their marriage. Miller has denied all abuse allegations and filed his own defamation lawsuit against Moreno. The escalating legal battles between Miller and Moreno have drawn renewed media attention to the original allegations Grisham made in 2021.
A spokesman for Miller declined to comment on Grisham’s lawsuit. Grisham declined to comment through her lawyer. The case has been assigned to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Emily Hagan.
Sources
- Cleveland.com — Details of Grisham’s July 2026 lawsuit, alleged breaches, and the 2023 settlement terms; Miller’s 2021 defamation suit and 2023 dismissal.
- Spectrum News 1 — Grisham’s allegations, Miller’s June 5, 2026 interview remarks, and the May 7 X post cited in the lawsuit.
- PBS NewsHour — Background on Miller’s disputes with both Moreno and Grisham, the escalating legal disputes, and the domestic abuse allegations against Miller.
