Melania Trump’s public denial of any significant link to Jeffrey Epstein is under fresh scrutiny after a newly released FBI document recorded an unnamed witness telling investigators that Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump. This account clashes with the first lady’s version of how she met her husband.
In a White House statement on April 9, Melania Trump said Epstein did not introduce her to Trump and that she met her future husband at a New York City party in 1998. She also denied having any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and described claims linking her to him as false. The Associated Press reported that she called the allegations “smears” and stated she and her lawyers were fighting back against what she termed baseless lies.
However, one of the documents released as part of the Justice Department’s Epstein files includes a different account.
The Daily Beast reported that a former Epstein assistant, referred to only as an unnamed woman and former model, told the FBI in July 2019 that Epstein introduced Melania Trump to Donald Trump. This statement appeared in an 11-page, heavily redacted document created days after Epstein’s arrest that year.
This is gobsmacking. Not only did Melania Trump suddenly decide to give a televised address about Jeffrey Epstein, she’s calling on Congress to “act,” because Epstein was “not alone.” So she just threw a giant stick of political dynamite on the issue her husband despises! pic.twitter.com/DUi2qAupoZ
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) April 9, 2026
This contradiction adds a new twist to a politically charged issue that has followed Melania Trump for months. In her White House comments, she stated that she was not friends with Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell, though she admitted moving in some of the same social circles in New York and Florida.
AP also reported that she referred to a 2002 email reply to Maxwell as a “trivial note,” following Justice Department records showing a message beginning with “Dear G!” and ending with “Love, Melania.”
The Justice Department has warned that not all items in the extensive Epstein release should be seen as verified fact. In a Jan. 30 statement announcing the release of over 3 million additional pages, the department said the material could include fake or misleading images, documents, or videos because all public submissions fitting within the act’s scope were included.
Reuters also reported that Justice Department officials stated the material could include false images or untrue claims and did not, by itself, prove criminal sexual activity by people mentioned in the files.
BREAKING: Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich reveals Melania Trump’s statement pushing back on false connections to Jeffrey Epstein “came out of left field” for reporters at the White House:
“We had no heads up on this. We’re not getting any information… pic.twitter.com/TgAoqtW10g
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 9, 2026
This caution is key to the current dispute. The FBI document places the witness account in the public domain, but it does not, on its own, determine which version is correct. In February, Reuters reported a Justice Department letter to lawmakers that included names of high-profile individuals mentioned in the files even when they appeared only in press clippings or other indirect references, without clarifying the context of each mention.
Melania Trump’s account has also received public support from Paolo Zampolli, the businessman and former model scout long identified by the Trumps as the person who introduced them. Recent reports indicate that Zampolli has offered to testify before Congress that he, not Epstein, made the introduction.
For now, the newly disclosed FBI material does not accuse Melania Trump of any wrongdoing. However, it does challenge a point she directly addressed from the White House: who first brought her and Donald Trump together.
As Congress and the Justice Department face continued pressure over handling the Epstein files, the conflict between the official public denial and the FBI witness account is likely to remain in the spotlight.
