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WASHINGTON — First lady Melania Trump said Thursday that she was not a victim of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. During a brief news conference at the White House, the first lady said she never had knowledge of Epstein's abuse and also disputed claims she was introduced to her husband, now President Donald Trump, by the late financier.
“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said in a five-minute statement.
The first lady said she met Donald Trump by chance at a New York City party in 1998 — a detail she said she also included in her eponymous memoir published in late 2024.
Author Michael Wolff, who interviewed Epstein for his 2018 book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” claimed Melania Trump was “very involved” in Epstein’s social life in the 1990s.
On Thursday, Melania Trump said her lawyers had successfully sued various news outlets for reports saying she was involved with Epstein, including the Daily Beast, for whom Wolff had commented in a story with the headline “Melania Trump ‘Very Involved’ in Epstein Scandal: Author.”
The Daily Beast has since retracted the story and apologized. Democratic strategist James Carville also apologized and retracted comments he made about the first lady on his podcast last year. And HarperCollins UK agreed to remove the claim that Epstein had introduced Melania to her husband from the book “Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York,” published last August.
“The first time I crossed paths with Epstein was in the year 2000, at an event Donald and I attended together,” Melania Trump said Thursday. “At the time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings.”
According to the Department of Justice, Epstein abused at least 1,000 women and children starting as early as 1985, targeting girls as young as 13. A DOJ indictment says Epstein sexually exploited and abused minor girls at his homes in New York City; Palm Beach, Florida; and other locations.
Documents released by the Justice Department related to the Epstein case included an email exchange between Melania Trump and Epstein confidant and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
“Nice story about JE in NY mag," the undated email from the first lady to Maxwell read. "You look great on the picture. I know you are very busy flying all over the world. How was Palm Beach? I cannot wait to go down. Give me a call when you are back in NY. Have a great time! Love, Melania." The subject header read “HI!”
Maxwell responded: “Sweet pea – thanks for your message. Actually plans changed again and I am now on my way back to NY. I leave again on Fri, so I still do not think I have time to see you sadly. I will try and call though.”
