A woman who accused Donald Trump of sexually inappropriate contact is suing the president-elect for defamation.

Summer Zervos, a former contestant on the US-version of The Apprentice, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday, according to her lawyer Gloria Allred.

At a press conference held in October last year, she alleged she was kissed and groped repeatedly without consent by the president-elect in 2007.

Mr Trump denied the claims saying it was "made up nonsense".

Ms Zervos called on Mr Trump to retract his denials, but as he hadn't she felt suing the president-elect was her "only option".

Ms Zervos, who competed on the television show's fifth season in 2006, told family and friends about the incidents not long after they occurred, her lawyer said.

The documents say Ms Zervos did not go public or take action when the incidents happened as she decided his behaviour had been "an aberration" or may have regretted or been ashamed.

However, in October 2016 she decided to come forward after a tape was released where Trump was filmed making lewd comments.

The footage shows the Republican presidential nominee boasting about past liaisons, saying: "When you're a star, they let you do it".

"Grab them by the p***y - you can do anything," he adds.

The candidate later said he was very embarrassed by the comments but dismissed them as "locker room talk".

After the tape was released, the president-elect faced a wave of allegations of sexual misconduct - including from Ms Zervos.

Ms Zervos said after the tapes were broadcast it "became clear that Mr Trump's sexually inappropriate behaviour was "entirely consistent with Mr Trump's own words".

The president-elect then told CNN's Anderson Cooper during a debate that he had never acted inappropriately towards women.

Those two factors convinced Ms Zervos to go public, Ms Allred said.

These two events led Ms Zervos to reconsider what she said had happened to her, Ms Allred said.

The lawsuit says: "For the first time Summer Zervos saw Trump's behaviour towards her for what it was - that of a sexual predator who had preyed on her and other women.

"She realised she was just one of many women who had been victimised by Mr Trump's predatory conduct."

Ms Zervos "could no longer rationalise or excuse Mr Trump's behaviour by telling herself that his behaviour had been a mistake or an isolated incident of which he might be ashamed", the documents say.

Ms Zervos "felt a responsibility to inform the public of the true facts", the lawsuit said.

At least 13 women have come forward after the release of the tapes to accuse Trump of sexual misconduct - claims he strenuously denies.

The papers say Trump lied by saying he that "he had never met her a hotel" or "greeted her inappropriately".

Mr Trump went further to describe her experience as "made up events that never happened" and "totally made up nonsense".

But Ms Zervos alleges "it was Donald Trump was lying when he falsely denied his predatory misconduct".

Her attorney said Ms Zervos has undergone a lie detector test and passed it.

Ms Zervos says she is willing to dismiss her lawsuit if he will retract the false statements and says her claims are the truth.