MARTHA'S VINEYARD — The dispute traces back to 2020, when Dershowitz served on Donald Trump’s defense team during the president’s first impeachment trial. Dershowitz is a former Harvard University law professor who taught from 1964 to 2013.

Dershowitz has been a member of legal teams for Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, O.J. Simpson, and Harvey Weinstein. He joined Jeffrey Epstein’s legal team in 2005.

Dershowitz described the encounter in detail. "Suddenly, Larry David walks in to buy some groceries. I say, ‘Hey. Hi, Larry,’ and he turns away, and he just walks away. I say, ‘Larry, can’t we at least talk?’ He said, ‘No. You’re disgusting,’" Dershowitz said.

Dershowitz provided further context on the current state of their interactions. "Larry David doesn’t talk to me anymore. He screams and yells at me when he sees me," Dershowitz said.

David acknowledged the rarity of such real-life conflicts. "I have lots of confrontations on my show but rarely in life. And then only if I think I can take them in a fight. Hence the Dershowitz dust-up," David said.

The rift persisted despite personal tragedies. Alan Dershowitz’s son, Elon Dershowitz, died from a stroke at age 64. David stated he regretted not contacting Dershowitz after the death of Dershowitz's son.

David explained his hesitation to reach out. "As I said on Curb once, ‘I think of nice things. I just don’t act on them,’" he said.

He also commented on Dershowitz's public standing. "I’m loath to say anything mean because he’s been so ostracised. But he only has himself to blame," he said.

Dershowitz has continued to engage in political and legal battles. In April, he announced that he was switching to the Republican party after decades of supporting the Democratic party. He labeled the Democratic party the "most anti-Israel party in US history."

In June, the US Supreme Court turned down a request by Dershowitz to revive a $300 million defamation lawsuit he filed against CNN. Dershowitz claimed CNN coverage of his remarks while defending Trump had been edited to make it falsely appear that he "had lost his mind."

Timeline

Dershowitz served on Donald Trump’s defense team during the president’s first impeachment trial in 2020. Larry David and Dershowitz had a public argument on Martha’s Vineyard in 2021.

During the 2021 argument, David called Dershowitz "disgusting" and stated he could never talk to him. Dershowitz confirmed the account of the 2021 argument in a 2022 interview with The New Yorker.

What's New

Dershowitz stated, "Larry David doesn’t talk to me anymore. He screams and yells at me when he sees me." David and Dershowitz had a confrontation on the porch of the Chilmark General Store on Martha’s Vineyard in 2021, where David called Dershowitz 'disgusting' for his association with Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo, leading to a public feud between the two.

Dershowitz stated that David used his gym to work out and helped him on a number of occasions prior to their falling out. Dershowitz joined Jeffrey Epstein’s legal team in 2005. Dershowitz taught at Harvard Law School from 1964 to 2013 and was appointed as the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law in 1993.

How Sources Differ

Regarding the nature of the conflict, David stated that Dershowitz "made a deal with the devil" when he became Donald Trump's lawyer. Other reporting notes that David, 79, and Dershowitz, 87, were profiled in The Atlantic regarding the deterioration of their friendship.

On the subject of post-conflict contact, David stated he regretted not contacting Dershowitz after the death of Dershowitz's son.

Why It Matters

The public breakdown of the friendship between David and Dershowitz illustrates the broader social and professional consequences of high-profile legal representation in polarized political environments. Dershowitz's work on behalf of Donald Trump during the 2020 impeachment trial and his subsequent political realignment in April, when he switched to the Republican party, placed him at the center of national debate.

The feud also shows the personal toll of such divisions, as evidenced by David's expressed regret over not contacting Dershowitz following the death of Dershowitz's son, Elon Dershowitz. The ongoing legal challenges faced by Dershowitz, including the US Supreme Court's June decision to turn down his request to revive a $300 million defamation lawsuit against CNN, further contextualize the professional pressures surrounding his public persona.