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Stormy Daniels on 60 Minutes: When is the interview with Anderson Cooper and how can you watch it on CBS?

Daniels allegedly had an affair with Mr Trump in 2006: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Daniels allegedly had an affair with Mr Trump in 2006: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

After months of headline grabbing intrigue, adult film actress Stormy Daniels will speak out publicly Sunday in her first televised interview since her alleged affair with President Donald Trump came to light.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is scheduled to appear on CBS’s 60 Minutes March 25, interviewed by longtime host Anderson Cooper. The interview, which was actually taped earlier this month, will be broadcast even though Mr Trump’s lawyer has obtained a restraining order that was meant to stop the interview from being made public.

Here’s what you need to know.

When and where is the broadcast?

The interview will be broadcast at 7pm Eastern/Pacific time Sunday (available online 12am GMT Monday) in the United States on CBS stations across the country. Don’t have access to CBS broadcasts? Check out their digital streaming news service CBSN.

Why is this happening now?

Mr Trump’s legal team has been fighting this interview for a while now — the Wall Street Journal broke the story on January 12 — saying that Daniels speaking about her interactions would violate a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) she signed just before the 2016 election. Daniels was paid $130,000 to sign the NDA by Mr Trump’s lawyer.

But, Daniels and her lawyers say that, since Mr Trump himself did not sign the NDA, it is invalid. Daniels’ lawyer has also implied that his client was coerced into signing the document, and said that there were threats of physical violence against his client — though it is not clear who may have threatened Daniels.

How big of a deal is this, really?

It is hard to say, especially since Mr Trump has been accused of affairs before — and since at least one other woman has alleged an affair during a similar period of time as Daniels. Mr Trump, before becoming president, was a celebrity after all. His previous divorces and sexual escapades were tabloid fodder in the 1990s.

Daniels has said in past interviews, before the NDA, that the 2006 affair with the man who would one day become the president of the United States occurred shortly after first lady Melania Trump gave birth to Barron Trump.

From a legal perspective, the $130,000 has created some intrigue as well. Given the timing of the payout, the payment has raised questions as to whether Mr Trump’s lawyer — who delivered the payment, reportedly from his own funds at the time but never repaid — violated campaign finance laws, as it could be interpreted that the funds were a gift or contribution to the campaign.