Stormy Daniels is paid $450,000 in defamation case over her arrest at strip club

Adult film actress alleges she was targeted by police over claims she had affair with Donald Trump

File image of adult film actress Stormy Daniels. (AP)

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels has settled a lawsuit for $450,000 against the Ohio city of Columbus over her arrest at a strip club.

Ms Daniels filed a federal defamation lawsuit in January, alleging she was targeted by six of the city's police officers over her claims that she had an affair with Donald Trump.

The 40 year old was arrested on suspicion of inappropriately touching an undercover officer following a performance at Sirens Gentlemen’s Club in July 2018, only to see the charge against her dropped hours later.

Ms Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, alleged that her arrest was “politically motivated” as the Columbus vice unit officers were registered members of Mr Trump's Republican Party and they retaliated by arresting her during her performance.

Her lawyer, Clark Brewster, said she could have settled for “a lot more” than $450,000 (£366,000) but that they “recognised that was the number that would get justice and would get attention and agreed to that”.

She originally sought $2m in damages.

Ms Daniels has described having sex with Mr Trump before he became president and receiving hush money through his former lawyer Michael Cohen.

Cohen pleaded guilty last year to directing payments of $130,000 to Ms Daniels and $150,000 to Playboy model Karen McDougal shortly before the 2016 presidential election in a bid to buy their silence.

Mr Trump has always denied the alleged encounters more than a decade ago with both of them.

Ms Daniels was ordered to pay the US president $293,000 (£238,400) in legal fees at the end of last year after her defamation lawsuit against him was dismissed.

The adult film star attempted to sue Mr Trump after he dismissed her claims of being threatened to keep quiet about their affair.

Ms Daniels said she would use the money from the Columbus settlement to pay her legal bills.

She added that she was about to start touring as a stand-up comedian.

“To do any of this, you have to have a good sense of humour,” she said, adding that she was proud of how Columbus “took responsibility and is actively making changes and holding those officers accountable.”

Ms Daniels and her lawyer offered no further details of what changes police would institute, and the Columbus city attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meredith Tucker, a spokeswoman for the city attorney’s office, told said both parties reached a settlement of $450,000 during mediation – an amount she described as “fair given the facts and circumstances involved.”

Associated Press contributed to this report.