Hunter Biden accused of ‘malicious lies’ as Melania Trump threatens $1bn lawsuit

First Lady Melania Trump has threatened to sue Hunter Biden for more than $1 billion after he claimed she was introduced to her husband by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Lawyers for the first lady, who married Donald Trump in 2005, called the statement “false, defamatory and inflammatory” and demanded a retraction and apology. They warned that failure to comply could lead to legal action seeking damages of over $1 billion, citing “overwhelming financial and reputational harm” caused by the claim.

Hunter Biden made the remarks earlier this month in an interview with filmmaker Andrew Callaghan, where he criticised Donald Trump’s past association with Epstein. Trump has acknowledged knowing Epstein but says they fell out in the early 2000s over a business dispute.

The legal letter accuses Biden of relying on a since-removed Daily Beast article, which was later retracted after Melania Trump’s lawyer challenged its content and framing. The Daily Beast apologised, stating the article’s headline and angle had caused “confusion or misunderstanding.”

During the interview, Biden said: “Epstein introduced Melania to Trump — the connections are so wide and deep.” The letter dismisses this as false and claims Biden has a “history of trading on the names of others” to attract attention.

There is no evidence Melania Trump was introduced to Donald Trump by Epstein. A Harper’s Bazaar profile from 2016 states they met in 1998 at a modelling industry party, with Melania declining to give her number because Trump “was with a date” at the time.

The dispute comes as pressure mounts on the White House to release the so-called “Epstein files” — previously undisclosed documents from the criminal investigation against Epstein. While Donald Trump has promised to release them if re-elected, US authorities have said no incriminating client list exists.