Régine Mahaux
First Lady Melania Trump has threatened to sue Hunter Biden for over $1 billion after he alleged that she was introduced to her husband, President Donald Trump, by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Attorneys representing Melania Trump, who has been married to the former president since 2005, described Hunter Biden’s claim as “false, disparaging, defamatory and inflammatory.” The accusation was made during a recent interview with filmmaker Andrew Callaghan and has since sparked a heated legal exchange.
Despite the legal threat, Hunter Biden, son of former U.S. President Joe Biden, has stood by his statements. On Thursday, he reiterated his position and appeared unwilling to retract the claim, dismissing the lawsuit threat as a distraction.
President Trump had known Epstein but has publicly claimed they parted ways in the early 2000s after Epstein allegedly recruited employees from Trump’s Florida golf club spa.
A letter from Melania Trump’s legal team to Hunter Biden’s attorney demands a full retraction and public apology. If he fails to comply, they warn he could face legal action seeking damages “in excess of $1 billion.” The letter states that the first lady has suffered “overwhelming financial and reputational harm” as a result of the claim.
The legal letter also criticizes Hunter Biden for having a “vast history of trading on the names of others” and asserts he repeated the Epstein claim “to draw attention to yourself.”
During the interview with Callaghan, Hunter Biden alleged that unreleased documents related to Epstein would “implicate” President Trump, and stated: “Epstein introduced Melania to Trump — the connections are so wide and deep.”
The legal letter notes that Biden cited journalist Michael Wolff as part of the basis for his claims. Wolff, author of a critical biography of Donald Trump, was recently quoted in The Daily Beast saying that Melania was allegedly known to an associate of both Epstein and Trump at the time she met her future husband. However, The Daily Beast retracted the article after receiving a legal letter from Melania Trump’s lawyer, challenging both its content and framing.
An archived version of the article now carries a disclaimer: “After this story was published, The Beast received a letter from First Lady Melania Trump’s attorney challenging the headline and framing of the article. After reviewing the matter, The Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding.”
Asked in a recent interview if he planned to apologise, Biden said, “Not going to happen.”
Biden dismissed the threat of a lawsuit as “a designed distraction,” but added that if legal proceedings do begin, he would welcome the opportunity to depose both Donald and Melania Trump, saying he would be “more than happy to provide them the platform.”
There is no evidence to support the claim that Epstein introduced Melania and Donald Trump. Epstein, who was charged with sex trafficking of minors, died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial.
Melania Trump’s lawyers argue that Biden’s claim is based on the now-retracted Daily Beast article, calling it “false and defamatory.”
In response to the controversy, the first lady’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, directed BBC News to a statement from Melania’s aide, Nick Clemens. The statement reads: “First Lady Melania Trump’s attorneys are actively ensuring immediate retractions and apologies by those who spread malicious, defamatory falsehoods.”
A 2016 Harper’s Bazaar profile of Melania stated that she met Donald Trump in November 1998 at a party hosted by the founder of a modelling agency. In the interview, Melania recalled refusing to give Trump her phone number at the time because he had arrived with a date.
Donald Trump was then recently separated from his second wife, Marla Maples, whom he divorced in 1999. He was previously married to Ivana Trump from 1977 to 1990.
The BBC has contacted Hunter Biden’s attorney for comment.
The legal dispute comes amid growing public pressure on the U.S. government to release sealed documents related to Epstein’s criminal investigation. Prior to his re-election, President Trump had vowed to declassify the so-called “Epstein files” if returned to office. However, the FBI and Department of Justice stated in July that no “incriminating” client list of Epstein associates exists.
