Melania Trump threatens $1bn lawsuit against Hunter Biden

First Lady Melania Trump is preparing to sue Hunter Biden for more than USD 1 billion after he claimed she was introduced to her husband, President Donald Trump, by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Lawyers representing the first lady described Biden’s claim as “false, disparaging, defamatory and inflammatory.” In a letter addressed to Biden’s attorney, they demanded a retraction and public apology, warning that failure to comply could result in legal action seeking “over USD 1bn in damages.”

The legal correspondence states that Melania Trump has suffered “overwhelming financial and reputational harm” as a result of the claim, and accuses Hunter Biden of having a “vast history of trading on the names of others” to “draw attention to yourself.”

Biden made the comments during an interview with Andrew Callaghan earlier this month, in which he criticized the president’s connections to Epstein. He said, “Epstein introduced Melania to Trump, the connections are so wide and deep.”

The first lady’s lawyers note that the claim partially referenced journalist Michael Wolff, author of a critical biography of Donald Trump. Wolff reportedly stated in a recent interview that Melania Trump was known to an associate of Epstein and Trump before meeting her future husband. The Daily Beast later retracted the story after receiving a letter from Melania Trump’s attorney, which challenged the article’s framing and contents.

There is no evidence that Epstein introduced the couple. According to a 2016 profile in Harper’s Bazaar, Melania Trump met Donald Trump in November 1998 at a party hosted by a modelling agency founder. She recalled declining to give him her phone number because he was “with a date.”

In response to questions about the legal threat, Melania Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito referred to a statement from her aide Nick Clemens, “First Lady Melania Trump's attorneys are actively ensuring immediate retractions and apologies by those who spread malicious, defamatory falsehoods.”

The legal action comes amid ongoing public pressure for the release of the so-called Epstein files, previously undisclosed documents related to the convicted pedophile. Donald Trump had previously said he would release the records if reelected, though the FBI and Justice Department stated in July that no “incriminating” client list of Epstein associates existed.