First Lady Melania Trump is now reportedly demanding that Hunter Biden, the son of former President Biden, retract and publicly apologize for what her attorneys describe as “false, disparaging, defamatory” and “extremely salacious” comments linking her to the late financier and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
In a legal letter dated Aug. 6, Mrs. Trump’s counsel said the remarks — made during a July interview between Hunter Biden and YouTube personality Andrew Callaghan — were entirely baseless.
In that interview, Biden alleged, citing author Michael Wolff, that Epstein had introduced the first lady to Donald J. Trump years before their marriage. The claim comes from Wolff, a writer whose work has been frequently ridiculed by many observers as unreliable.
Mrs. Trump is seeking $1 billion in damages over the comments.
When Callaghan, in a video posted to YouTube on Thursday, showed Biden the letter and offered him an opportunity to apologize, the president’s son refused. “Uh, f— that. That’s not gonna happen,” he replied.
Fox News first reported the existence of the legal demand.
The dispute emerges as the president’s name has again been raised in connection with the broader Epstein scandal, which has been the subject of renewed attention on Capitol Hill.
Lawmakers in both parties have pressed the government to release more information about Epstein’s activities and connections. The Justice Department and FBI recently issued a joint statement asserting that Epstein did not maintain a so-called “client list” and reaffirming that his 2019 death was determined to be a suicide.
Epstein, accused in multiple cases of trafficking underage girls, maintained social ties with prominent political and social figures, including former President Bill Clinton, Britain’s Prince Andrew, a number of celebrities and wealthy financiers — and, at one time, Donald Trump.
The president has repeatedly stated that his relationship with Epstein ended years before Epstein’s legal troubles became public.
Mr. Trump has said that the break came after Epstein “stole” employees from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. “I was not a fan of his,” the president has maintained.
The first lady’s legal challenge underscores the Trump family’s readiness to respond aggressively to what they view as politically motivated falsehoods.
Her lawyers argue that Biden’s decision to cite a source with a reputation for sensationalism — without evidence — reflects reckless disregard for the truth.
For Mrs. Trump, the episode is not merely about politics but about defending her personal reputation from unverified accusations involving one of the most notorious criminal cases in recent memory. The size of the damages sought — $1 billion — signals the seriousness with which she and her legal team view the harm to her name.
While Hunter Biden dismissed the letter outright, the confrontation sets up the possibility of a drawn-out legal battle that could draw further scrutiny to the former president’s son, who is already facing multiple personal and legal controversies.
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