First Lady Melania Trump delivered a rare and extraordinary on-camera statement at the White House on Thursday, April 9, 2026, strongly denying any ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanding that what she called “lies” linking her to the disgraced financier come to an end.

Speaking from the Grand Foyer of the White House, Melania addressed months of online speculation and social media posts that have attempted to connect her to Epstein’s criminal network.

“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility, and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”

Melania was direct in dispelling several specific claims. She stated she was never a victim of Epstein, that Epstein did not introduce her to Donald Trump, and that she never visited Epstein’s private island or flew on his plane. She said she first encountered Epstein in the year 2000 at an event she attended with Trump, and described any social overlap with Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell as common, given their shared New York and Palm Beach social circles.

“I have never been friends with Epstein,” she said. “Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time, since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach.”

The statement addressed an email exchange between Melania and Maxwell that was included in a recent Justice Department release. The email, signed “Love, Melania,” was sent in 2002 and appeared to compliment the recipient on a magazine article. Melania described the exchange as nothing more than casual correspondence. “My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note,” she said.

Melania also confirmed that she and her attorneys have already taken legal action against publishers and individuals who made false claims about her connection to Epstein, with three publishers having issued apologies.

In a notable moment, the first lady called on Congress to hold a dedicated public hearing for Epstein’s survivors, urging that each victim be given the opportunity to testify under oath. “Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes,” she said. “Then, and only then, will we have the truth.”

The statement came as something of a surprise, arriving just as the Trump administration appeared to be moving past the months-long Epstein controversy, which had been increasingly overshadowed by the ongoing Iran situation. Observers noted that Melania’s call for a congressional hearing directly contrasted with the president’s posture on the Epstein files, potentially pushing the story back into the political spotlight.

Democrats quickly embraced her call, with Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, posting on social media urging committee chairman Rep. James Comer to schedule a public hearing “immediately.” The statement also came the same week that former Attorney General Pam Bondi was blocked by the Department of Justice from appearing before the committee to answer questions about the Epstein files, and as Bill Gates was confirmed to testify before Congress in June about his ties to the financier.

There is no public evidence showing that Melania Trump is named in criminal indictments, court rulings, or official records connected to Epstein’s sex trafficking case. Legal experts and fact-checking organizations have cautioned that social proximity or unverified references do not establish wrongdoing. To date, no court has found any link between Melania Trump and Epstein’s criminal activities.

However, audio obtained by the Daily Beast and published on the eve of the 2024 election captured the convicted sex offender boasting of his close ties to the president and the first lady.

Epstein alleged that Trump first slept with his current wife aboard his private jet, known as the Lolita Express. In a statement, Melania said she had never flown on the aircraft.

The pedophile spoke at length with author Michael Wolff in August 2017 for the bestseller Fire and Fury, two years before Epstein was found dead in a New York jail cell in 2019. Authorities concluded he died by suicide.

Melania said that her email exchanges with Ghislaine Maxwell were purely incidental and did not reflect any personal connection. She emphasized that she never had a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein or Maxwell, adding that her brief, polite response to Maxwell amounted to nothing more than casual correspondence and should not be interpreted as anything significant.

Yet an email disclosed in a January release of Epstein documents showed the first lady was effusive toward Maxwell in 2002. She said it was a response, but the subject line “HI!” suggested she started the conversation. She ended the note with Love, Melania.

In her reply, Maxwell’s subject line made clear it was a response. There, she addressed the then-known as Melania Knauss as “Sweet pea.”