A federal judge on Friday dismissed author Michael Wolff's preemptive lawsuit against first lady Melania Trump, rejecting his attempt to block her from suing him for $1 billion over statements he made about her and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Judge's Ruling
U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil in Manhattan ruled that Wolff's legal strategy was "contorted" and that "this is not how the federal courts work." She criticized both sides for engaging in "an inappropriate level of tactical gamesmanship" and stated she "will not be conscripted to oversee an abusively presented spat."
Judge Vyskocil, appointed by President Donald Trump, acknowledged that Wolff and the first lady "have a real dispute" but emphasized they "must litigate it according to the same procedures as everyone else."
Background of the Case
Wolff sued Melania Trump in October 2024 after her lawyer, Alejandro Brito, sent him a letter demanding a retraction of statements that allegedly caused her "overwhelming reputational and financial harm." The letter warned that if Wolff did not comply, she would be "left with no alternative" but to sue him.
Wolff originally filed the lawsuit in New York state court, but Brito had it transferred to federal court. In her 45-page decision, Vyskocil determined that while federal court had jurisdiction, she declined to exercise it and dismissed the case "to be litigated like any other."
Melania Trump's Denial
In April 2024, Melania Trump made a statement at the White House denying any affiliation with Epstein, the millionaire financier and convicted sex offender who died by suicide in jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Reading prepared remarks, the first lady said she and her lawyers were fighting back against "unfound and baseless lies" that suggested she had ties to Epstein. "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."
Wolff's Claims
In his lawsuit, Wolff argued that the Trumps "have made a practice of threatening those who speak against them" with costly legal actions "to silence their speech, to intimidate their critics generally, and to extract unjustified payments and North Korean style confessions and apologies." He claimed the threats were "designed to create a climate of fear in the nation so that people cannot freely or confidently exercise their First Amendment rights."
Wolff, who has published a dozen books including four bestsellers about the president, said the threat to sue him was related to statements he made to The Daily Beast and in three social media videos. He contended that some statements were incomplete phrases taken out of context, while others were protected speech. For instance, the statement that the Trumps were in a "sham marriage, trophy marriage" was a "fair and justified" opinion, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also noted that Wolff never said Melania Trump was involved in any of Epstein's crimes. In July 2024, after receiving a letter from Brito, The Daily Beast retracted an article titled "Melania Trump 'Very Involved' in Epstein Scandal: Author," which was based on an interview with Wolff. Wolff clarified that his comments pertained to the first lady's "involvement" managing the matter "behind the scenes" at the White House, not any criminal activity.
Among the statements Wolff maintained were true were his comments that Melania Trump met Donald Trump in Epstein's social circle, and that Donald Trump liked to have sex with his friends' wives and first slept with Melania Trump on Epstein's private jet.
