First Lady Melania Trump has threatened to sue Hunter Biden for more than $1 billion after he claimed she was introduced to Donald Trump by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a legal letter sent to Biden’s attorney, lawyers for Mrs. Trump described the allegation as “false, disparaging, defamatory and inflammatory,” demanding an immediate retraction and public apology. The letter alleges that the comments have caused the former first lady “overwhelming financial and reputational harm.”
Biden, son of former U.S. President Joe Biden, made the remarks earlier this month during an interview with filmmaker Andrew Callaghan. He suggested that unreleased Epstein documents could implicate Donald Trump, adding, “Epstein introduced Melania to Trump – the connections are so wide and deep.”
Mrs. Trump’s legal team accuses Biden of relying on a since-removed Daily Beast article as the basis of his claims. The article, which had partially cited journalist Michael Wolff, was later retracted following a challenge from the first lady’s attorney. The Daily Beast issued an apology, stating it had reviewed the matter and removed the story to avoid “confusion or misunderstanding.”
There is no evidence supporting Biden’s assertion. According to a 2016 Harper’s Bazaar profile, Melania met Donald Trump in November 1998 at a party hosted by a modeling agency founder. She reportedly declined to give Trump her phone number at first because he was “with a date.”
Donald Trump, who has acknowledged knowing Epstein socially in the past, has claimed they fell out in the early 2000s after Epstein allegedly poached employees from Trump’s Florida golf club. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Mrs. Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, referred media inquiries to her aide, Nick Clemens, who said the legal team is “actively ensuring immediate retractions and apologies by those who spread malicious, defamatory falsehoods.”
The legal threat comes amid renewed calls for the release of the so-called “Epstein files,” sealed documents related to the criminal investigation. While Donald Trump previously pledged to release the records if re-elected, the FBI and Justice Department said in July that no incriminating “client list” exists.
Hunter Biden’s attorney has not yet publicly responded to the legal warning.
