NEW YORK: US President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen filed for a restraining order against Stormy Daniels' attorney to prevent him from speaking to the press about the porn star's lawsuit.
"(Michael) Avenatti's actions are mainly driven by his seemingly unquenchable thirst for publicity," the filing said on Thursday night, alleging that the adult film star's lawyer "routinely denigrates" Cohen, CNN reported.
Avenatti's "publicity tour", the filing said, was "likely to result in Cohen being deprived of his right to a fair trial, and threatens to turn what should be a solemn federal court proceeding into a media circus".
Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 days before the 2016 election as part of a non-disclosure agreement to prevent the porn star from publicly discussing her alleged sexual encounter with Trump.
Trump has also acknowledged that he personally reimbursed Cohen for that payment.
Daniels is suing the two men as well as Essential Consultants, Cohen's shell company, to try to nullify the 2016 agreement. Avenatti is representing her in the case.