Melania Trump delivers a statement at the Grand Foyer of the White House on April 9, 2026. —Alex Wong/Getty Images
First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday denied ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and his business associate Ghislaine Maxwell, saying “lies” that link her to the two convicted sex offenders “must end.”
“I’ve never been friends with Epstein,” Melania Trump said in a speech on Thursday, while adding that she and Donald Trump were invited to the same parties as Epstein “from time to time.”
“Overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach,” she said.
The first lady also denied that Epstein introduced her to President Donald Trump or that she herself was a victim of Epstein’s crimes. She also claimed she never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims.
During her surprise address, she said the email correspondence between her and Ghislaine Maxwell “cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence.”
“To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, Maxwell,” Melania said. “My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note.”
According to the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice, an email was sent in October 2002 from “Melania” to “G” regarding a New York Magazine profile of Epstein.
“I know you are very busy flying all over the world. How was Palm Beach? I cannot wait to go down. Give me a call when you are back in NY,” the email reads.
Melania also called for Congress to provide a public hearing dedicated to victims of Epstein about their experiences.
She also said “we still must work openly and transparently to uncover the truth” while stopping short of calling for a full release of, or unredacting, the Epstein files.
“Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes, and then her testimony should be permanently entered into congressional record. Then, and only then, we will have the truth,” she said.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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