Breaking: Michael Wolff Sues Melania Trump After $1 Billion Epstein Threat – Seeks to Depose First Couple Under Oath
In a stunning escalation of their long-simmering feud, journalist Michael Wolff has fired back at First Lady Melania Trump with a defamation lawsuit, accusing her of weaponizing legal threats to silence reporting on the Trumps’ ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The move, filed in New York Supreme Court, could force depositions that expose fresh details on one of America’s most notorious scandals.
Wolff, the bestselling author behind “Fire and Fury” and three other Trump exposés, claims Melania Trump’s attorneys sent a cease-and-desist letter on October 15, demanding he retract statements linking her to Epstein or face a $1 billion damages suit. The deadline hit Tuesday, prompting Wolff’s preemptive strike under New York’s anti-SLAPP law, designed to shield journalists from baseless intimidation tactics. He argues the threats aren’t just personal—they’re part of a broader pattern to “create a climate of fear” and suppress public discourse on Epstein’s elite network, where Donald Trump once partied before their 2004 falling out.
The controversy ignited earlier this year when Wolff spoke to The Daily Beast, describing Melania as “very involved” in Epstein’s social circle and suggesting she might be the “missing link” in the Trumps’ Epstein connections. He cited Epstein’s own boasts that he introduced Donald Trump to Melania—possibly aboard his infamous private jet—and alleged her behind-the-scenes role in White House efforts to downplay the scandal. Wolff insists these were hypotheses drawn from hours of pre-2019 interviews with Epstein himself, not outright accusations of wrongdoing. In three social media videos, he elaborated on these points, though he now says some clips were edited out of context by outlets.
Melania’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, fired off the letter labeling Wolff’s words “false, defamatory, and inflammatory,” claiming they inflicted “overwhelming reputational and financial harm.” Her team has previously extracted apologies from others, including a podcast retraction, and even pressured publishers to drop Wolff’s upcoming book, tentatively titled The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump (Redux). In a statement to Axios, a Trump spokesperson shot back: “First Lady Melania Trump is proud to continue standing up to those who spread malicious and defamatory falsehoods as they desperately try to get undeserved attention and money from their unlawful conduct.”
This isn’t Wolff’s first clash with the Trumps. The White House once tried to block Fire and Fury in 2018, but it became a smash hit. Now 71, the veteran reporter—who’s penned a dozen books—positions himself as a defender of the First Amendment. In an Instagram video Wednesday, he declared: “To be perfectly honest, I’d like nothing better than to get Donald Trump and Melania Trump under oath… and actually find out all of the details of their relationship with Epstein.” His suit seeks a court order halting further threats, unspecified punitive damages, and crucially, permission to depose the Trumps and potentially others like Ghislaine Maxwell on Epstein’s orbit.
Legal experts see Wolff’s strategy as savvy. “This is classic anti-SLAPP—flipping the script to protect speech on a public concern,” says First Amendment attorney Floyd Abrams, who isn’t involved but notes New York’s robust protections outshine Florida’s, where the Trumps initially cited law. Wolff argues Melania can’t prove “actual malice”—that he knew his statements were false—since they’re rooted in Epstein’s own words and public records. He also accuses the Trumps of a “campaign” to intimidate critics, echoing similar threats against Hunter Biden in August over parallel Epstein claims.
Public reaction has lit up social media, with X (formerly Twitter) buzzing under hashtags like #MichaelWolff and #EpsteinFiles. Supporters hail Wolff as a truth-teller battling “MAGA myrmidons,” as he put it in the filing. Posts from accounts like @MeidasTouch racked up over 13,000 likes, framing it as a win for press freedom: “Wolff is striking back after Melania allegedly threatened to sue him for $1 billion.” Critics, including Trump allies, dismiss it as a publicity stunt to hawk books. One X user quipped, “Wolff pulls the Uno reverse card—now the Trumps are on defense.” Broader sentiment splits along partisan lines: Liberals cheer the potential for Epstein revelations, while conservatives decry it as “fake news” dredging up old dirt.
For everyday Americans, this saga underscores deeper anxieties about power and accountability. Epstein’s web ensnared billionaires, politicians, and celebrities, fueling distrust in institutions—especially as Trump navigates a second term amid ongoing document unsealing. If depositions happen, they could air unflattering details on how the Trumps distanced themselves from Epstein post-2004, when Trump banned him from Mar-a-Lago over alleged advances on a young girl. More broadly, it spotlights SLAPP suits’ chilling effect on journalism, potentially eroding free speech in an era of polarized media. As one X post noted, “When the First Lady threatens a $1B lawsuit, it’s not just gossip—it’s power vs. press.”
The case heads to Manhattan Supreme Court, where early motions could decide if discovery proceeds. Wolff’s gamble: Turn defense into offense, using the courtroom as a stage to probe Epstein’s shadows. If successful, it might not just vindicate his reporting but crack open archives long shielded by NDAs and influence. For now, the Trumps’ Epstein era—once whispered—roars back into the spotlight, reminding us that in Washington, no scandal truly dies.
By Sam Michael
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