The jury did not accept that Trump raped the woman. They voted for the other...thing.
You’re exactly right, and the judge threw justice, rationality and common decency out the window with his ruling, but Stephanopoulos can’t legitimately be accused of defamation merely on the basis of making that reference. Fox News was sued because they merely reported Trump’s allegations regarding the 2020 election. That was absurd, and this falls under the same umbrella.
Trust me, I wish George had been careless enough with his wording to provide Trump with a legal case.