Former First Lady Melania Trump has issued a formal legal threat against Hunter Biden, son of former President Joe Biden, demanding a retraction and apology for comments linking her to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The claim, made during a recent YouTube interview, has sparked a firestorm of controversy and prompted Trump’s legal team to threaten a defamation lawsuit seeking damages in excess of $1 billion.
In the interview with journalist Andrew Callaghan, Hunter Biden alleged that Epstein introduced Melania to Donald Trump, a statement Melania’s attorney Alejandro Brito called “false, defamatory, and extremely salacious.” The remarks, widely circulated on social media and reported by global media outlets, have allegedly caused “overwhelming financial and reputational harm” to the former First Lady.
“Failure to comply will leave Mrs. Trump with no choice but to pursue any and all legal rights and remedies available to her,” Brito stated in the letter sent to Hunter Biden’s legal counsel.
The Trumps have long maintained that Melania met Donald Trump through modeling agent Paolo Zampolli at a New York Fashion Week party in 1998. Hunter Biden, however, attributed his claim to author Michael Wolff, whose credibility has been publicly challenged by Donald Trump in the past.
Legal experts note that public figures like Melania Trump face a high bar in defamation cases, requiring proof of actual malice. Nonetheless, the aggressive legal posture mirrors tactics frequently employed by Donald Trump during his presidency.