April 10, 2026 | 07:08 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - US First Lady Melania Trump on Thursday denied having ever maintained a friendship with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today," she read from a prepared statement in an address from the White House.
"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," she said.
There had previously been no indication that she would address her contact with Epstein in her Thursday comments.
Following the address, US President Donald Trump told the MS Now that he was not aware of the first lady's remarks ahead of time.
The US president has said his association with Epstein ended in the mid-2000s and that he was unaware of any wrongdoing.
Epstein was convicted of soliciting sex from a minor in 2008 and died in prison in 2019 while awaiting sex trafficking charges in what was ruled a suicide.
What Else Did Melania Trump Say About Her Contact with Epstein?
Melania Trump said that she only came into contact with the well-connected financier from having overlapping social circles.
"I have never been friends with Epstein. 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," she said.
She said she had never been to Epstein's private island or flown on his aircraft, known as the "Lolita Express."
Melania Trump also denied having had any relationship with Epstein's accomplice and girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
"To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, Maxwell," she said.
Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022 for her role in assisting Epstein in his sex trafficking operations.
The first lady said that she met her husband before coming into contact with Epstein.
"I am not Epstein's victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband, by chance, at a New York City party in 1998," she said.
She also called for Congress to set up a public hearing for Epstein's victims to provide "sworn testimony" on the abuse.
"Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes," she said.
She said that an e-mail she sent to Maxwell in 2002 — in which she told Epstein's associate to "give me a call when you are back in NY" — that was among files released by the US Justice Department amounted only to "casual correspondence."
Epstein's Ties to Prominent Figures
The late financier's ties to prominent figures have caused increased fallout in the United States and other countries, such as Norway and the United Kingdom, over the past year after new details about his dealings came to light in documents released in November and January.
On April 1, Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi after she faced criticism over her handling of the documents, which have come to be known as the "Epstein files."
In March, former President Bill Clinton denied any knowledge of Epstein's sex crimes in comments made to a Congressional committee.
Read: Gigi Hadid Speaks Out After Being Named in Epstein Files
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