Prince Andrew biography retracts claim Epstein introduced Trump to Melania
What's the story
A new biography of Prince Andrew, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, has retracted a controversial claim. The book, written by Andrew Lownie and published by HarperCollins UK on August 14, originally alleged that Jeffrey Epstein introduced US President Donald Trump to his now-wife, Melania. However, after discussions with Lownie and the publisher, these allegations have been removed from future editions.
Lawsuit warning
Melania's lawyer warned Hunter Biden she would sue him
The decision to retract the claim came after Melania's lawyer, Alejandro Brito, sent a letter to Hunter Biden on August 6. The letter demanded a full retraction of an interview in which Biden repeated biographer Michael Wolff's claim about Epstein introducing Trump and Melania. Brito warned that if Biden didn't comply, Melania would sue him for $1 billion over reputational harm. Biden is former US President Joe Biden's son.
Denial issued
Trump denied that Epstein introduced him to Melania
President Trump has publicly denied Epstein's involvement in introducing him to Melania. Speaking to Fox News shortly after, he said he encouraged Melania to pursue legal action against Biden and let her use his lawyers. "Jeffrey Epstein had nothing to do with Melania and introducing," he said, adding that another person was involved. Despite this, Wolff's claims continue to circulate, with political analyst James Carville also apologizing for similar statements on his podcast after hearing from Melania's lawyers.
Ongoing investigation
Trump administration under pressure to release documents
The Trump administration is under pressure to release documents related to Epstein, who was a longtime friend of the president. Although Trump's name appeared seven times in flight logs released by Attorney General Pam Bondi, it doesn't imply any wrongdoing. In July, the FBI and Department of Justice concluded their investigation into Epstein's alleged crimes and death, stating there was no evidence for a rumored "client list."