People writer who accused Trump of sexual harassment weighs in on president-elect's victory

Natasha Stoynoff, the former People writer who accused then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in October of grabbing and forcibly kissing her, has broken her silence on the billionaire businessman's surprising Election Day victory.

In a follow up interview with People posted Wednesday, Stoynoff, 51, said she was "heartbroken" to see the election results rolling in Nov. 8 when she realized it was all but inevitable that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton would fall short of winning the White House. She was upset "mostly at what the results said about so many Americans and what they were thinking, feeling and believing."

Stoynoff made national headlines last month when she came forward to describe an alleged incident from December 2005 at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. She said the encounter happened while she was working on an anniversary story about Trump and his wife, Melania. The soon-to-be first lady denied Stoynoff's story and demanded People retract the writer's essay.

But Stoynoff is standing by her story, telling the magazine that she is "sad but staying hopeful" about Trump's imminent presidency.

"I have faith in myself to move forward — and in my fellow Americans to band together and aggressively ensure that our laws protecting diversity and human rights not only stay intact but flourish," she said.

She also said she has no regrets about coming forward to share her allegations: "The hundreds of emails and social media notes and phone calls of support tell me that most Americans want a president who is an honest human being with integrity."

"And that gives me great optimism for the future of our country," Stoynoff added.

The writer, who is in the midst of several book projects, said she plans to continue sharing "stories about brave women who find their voices and fight injustice."