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(Screenshot via Facebook/Politico)

Attorney Gloria Allred announced Tuesday that she has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Summer Zervos for defamation against President-elect Donald Trump.

During the election, Zervos, a contestant on Trump's reality show, "Celebrity Apprentice," said Trump made unwanted sexual advances while she was on the show in 2007.

Trump called those accusations, and 13 others, "phony" and threatened to sue the women who accused him of sexual harassment and assault after the election was over. In November, Zervos said in a press conference, that after she came forward she was "threatened, bullied and saw my business targeted."

She teared up at that press conference saying, "I also suffered other repercussions because I chose to speak out and tell the truth."

In a press conference on Tuesday, Allred said the lawsuit they are filing is "the result of Trump's comments."

"It is in the lawsuit what we are seeking for damages," said Allred. "But it's minimal what we're asserting because what we really want is to prove that defamation has taken place."

Allred said Zervos asked Trump to retract his statement two months ago and he has yet to do it.

At the press conference Tuesday, Zervos said, "I want Mr. Trump to know that I will still be willing to dismiss my case against him immediately for no monetary compensation, if he would simply retract his false and defamatory statements about me and acknowledge that I told the truth about him."

When asked why she was filing now, Allred said, "Why not now?"

"It's time to face the consequences," said Allred. "Women are not a footnote to history."

You can watch the full press conference here:

Gloria Allred press conference Gloria Allred holds a press conference to announce that one of her clients is filing a lawsuit against President-elect Donald J. Trump. Posted by POLITICO on Tuesday, January 17, 2017

-- Lizzy Acker

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lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker