First Lady Melania Trump is threatening legal action against Hunter Biden, son of former President Joe Biden, demanding a public apology and retraction for comments linking her to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a letter dated August 6, 2025, Melania Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, warned that failure to comply could lead to a $1 billion defamation lawsuit, citing “overwhelming financial and reputational harm” caused by Biden’s remarks.
The controversy stems from a July interview Hunter Biden gave to YouTube personality Andrew Callaghan, in which he claimed that Epstein introduced Melania Trump to her husband, President Donald Trump. Biden attributed the allegation to author Michael Wolff, asserting that Wolff obtained the information directly from Epstein. The comments, described as “false, disparaging, defamatory,” and “extremely salacious” in Brito’s letter, prompted a swift response from Melania Trump’s legal team, invoking Florida’s pre-suit defamation statute.
Brito’s letter specifically challenged Biden’s statements that “Epstein introduced Melania to [Donald] Trump” and that “Jeffrey Epstein introduced Melania, that’s how Melania and the President met, according to Michael Wolff.” The first lady’s legal team argues that these claims are baseless and damaging to her reputation. President Trump, in an August 13 interview on Fox Radio, supported his wife’s pursuit of legal action, stating, “Jeffrey Epstein has nothing to do with Melania. … I told her to go ahead and do it; she was very upset about it.” He clarified that he met Melania through another individual, not Epstein, and dismissed the allegations as an attempt to “demean.”
In a follow-up YouTube video posted on August 14, Callaghan presented Hunter Biden with the letter from Melania Trump’s attorney, offering him an opportunity to retract his statements. Biden refused, declaring, “That’s not going to happen.” He defended his remarks by citing Wolff’s reporting and claimed that New York Times reporters Edward Carney and Maggie Haberman had made similar assertions. Calling the defamation threat a “distraction,” Biden stood firm on his comments.
The allegations have drawn significant attention due to Epstein’s notoriety. The financier, who died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, was a polarizing figure whose associations have fueled widespread speculation. Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking.
The dispute echoes a recent retraction by The Daily Beast, which apologized for publishing a similar claim about Epstein introducing Melania to Donald Trump after legal pressure from the first lady’s team. Posts on X from August 2025, including one by user @ShadowofEzra, noted Hunter Biden’s refusal to apologize, quoting him as saying, “F*ck that” and “It’s not gonna happen,” underscoring the escalating tension.
Melania Trump’s potential lawsuit adds to a series of legal battles involving high-profile figures and Epstein-related claims. If pursued, the case could test the boundaries of defamation law, particularly given Biden’s reliance on third-party reporting and the public’s intense interest in Epstein’s connections. For now, the first lady’s legal team is pressing for a retraction, while Biden’s defiance suggests the matter may head to court.
