Melania Trump has demanded that Hunter Biden retract comments linking her to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with her lawyer threatening legal action if he does not comply. In a letter dated 6 August, attorney Alejandro Brito stated that Biden's allegations were false, defamatory, and caused the first lady 'overwhelming financial and reputational harm'.
Biden, son of former President Joe Biden, made the remarks during an interview with journalist Andrew Callaghan, claiming that Epstein introduced Melania to Donald Trump. He attributed the claim to author Michael Wolff, whom Donald Trump has accused of fabricating stories. The first lady's legal team argues that the statements were 'extremely salacious' and widely disseminated.
Hunter Biden responded on Thursday, refusing to apologise and doubling down on his assertion. 'What I said is what I have heard and seen reported,' he said, citing sources including The New York Times and Vanity Fair. President Trump encouraged his wife to sue, stating that Epstein had nothing to do with their introduction, which he says occurred through modelling agent Paolo Zampolli in 1998.
The legal threat mirrors Donald Trump's frequent use of litigation against critics, though public figures face a high bar to win defamation cases. Abbe Lowell, Biden's lawyer, did not respond to a request for comment.
