![](\"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Screen-Shot-2017-01-18-at-9.18.52-AM.png\")
<\/a>EVAN VUCCI\/AP<\/p><\/div>\n
Donald Trump<\/a>\u00a0has unleashed his\u00a0own form of evidence to prove his\u00a0innocence amid claims of his unwanted sexual advances<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a> released by Trump\u2019s campaign Friday evening, the cousin of one of the women accusing the GOP nominee\u00a0of sexual misconduct\u00a0says he is\u00a0\u201ccompletely shocked and bewildered\u201d to learn about her account with\u00a0Trump.<\/p>\n \u201cI am completely shocked and bewildered by my cousin, Summer Zervos, and her press conference today. Ever since she was on The Apprentice<\/em> she has had nothing but glowing things to say about Mr. Trump,\u201d John Barry of Mission Viejo, California, said about his cousin\u00a0Summer Zervos<\/a>, who recalled\u00a0her encounter with\u00a0Trump during a press conference on Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor almost a decade, my cousin would talk about how much she looked up to Mr. Trump and viewed him as an inspiration \u2013 a success story she wanted to copy. Summer would also talk about how kind and caring Mr. Trump was on the show, and how he would even visit children in hospitals without telling the press,\u201d Barry explained in the statement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Zervos competed on the fifth season of The Apprentice<\/em> in 2007. After she was\u00a0fired, Trump allegedly invited her to his office\u00a0in New York City, where he kissed her on the lips upon arrival and once again when she was leaving.\u00a0Then she\u00a0had another meet up with the real estate mogul in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hills Hotel where he kissed her yet again and \u201cthrusted his genitals\u201d against her, according to Zervos.<\/p>\n \u201cShe has praised the good things he\u2019s done for her life, and in fact she converted her friends and our family to become Trump supporters even though we\u2019ve never been active in politics before,\u201d Barry continued in the statement. \u201c<\/span>That was until Summer invited Mr. Trump to her restaurant during the primary and he said no. I think Summer wishes she could still be on reality TV, and in an effort to get that back she\u2019s saying all of these negative things about Mr. Trump. That\u2019s not how she talked about him before.\u201d<\/p>\n Adding, \u201cI can only imagine that Summer\u2019s actions today are nothing more than an attempt to regain the spotlight at Mr. Trump\u2019s expense, and I don\u2019t think it reflects well.\u201d<\/p>\n In response to Barry\u2019s statement, Zervos\u2019 lawyer Gloria Allred tells PEOPLE: \u201cJohn Barry is a huge Trump supporter. He was employed at Summer\u2019s family restaurant\u00a0until several months ago when his employment ended. Since then he has expressed hostility and ill will towards Summer. Given the rifts in the family relationships which existed even prior to Summer making her statement today, and given his support for Mr. Trump, Summer does not intend to create further rifts by commenting further on Mr. Barry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n And on her client\u2019s claims against Trump, Allred said\u00a0that Zervos confided in a friend who can back up her account.<\/p>\n \u201cToday we were contacted by Ann Russo who remembers that years earlier Summer confided in Ann about what Summer said Mr. Trump did to her,\u201d Allred said. \u201cAnn believes that Summer is an honest person with very high moral and ethical standards.\u00a0\u00a0This is now a third person who has corroborated that Summer told people who were close to her what she alleges Mr. Trump did to her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Trump, 70, responded to Zervos\u2019 story\u00a0on Friday, issuing a statement obtained by PEOPLE.<\/p>\n \u201cI vaguely remember Ms. Zervos as one of the many contestants on The Apprentice<\/em> over the years,\u201d he said. \u201cTo be clear, I never met her at a hotel or greeted her inappropriately a decade ago. That is not who I am as a person, and it is not how I\u2019ve conducted my life. In fact, Ms. Zervos continued to contact me for help, emailing my office on April 14th of this year asking that I visit her restaurant in California.\u201d<\/p>\n Along with Barry\u2019s statement, Trump\u2019s campaign also released the email that Zervos had sent him in April. \u201cI am in a unique situation being that I am the only former Apprentice who operates a business where Mr. Trump\u2019s supporters can walk in, express their admiration for him and inquire about my experience,\u201d the email stated. \u201cI would greatly appreciate reconnecting at this time. He will know my intentions are genuine. Thank you, Summer Zervos.\u201d<\/p>\n Zervos is one of ten women<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 including a former PEOPLE reporter \u2014 who haven spoken out against Trump,\u00a0claiming they were involved in incidents of sexual assault or misconduct at the hands of the Republican presidential candidate. On Friday, Trump said his accusers are all lying<\/a>, telling the crowd\u00a0at a rally in Greensboro, North Carolina: \u201cIt\u2019s a phony deal, I have no idea who these women are, and I think you all know I have no idea.\u201d<\/p>\n