A major online publication is walking back a controversial claim about former First Lady Melania Trump and her alleged ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—less than 24 hours after publishing the story.
The Daily Beast pulled down an article Thursday that attempted to link Melania Trump to Epstein through a shared modeling contact in the 1990s. The story, based on commentary from journalist Michael Wolff, included a claim that Epstein knew Melania “well” before she met Donald Trump and even helped introduce the couple. Within hours of going live, the entire article was retracted with an editor’s note acknowledging that Melania’s attorney had formally disputed its main claim.
BREAKING: First Lady Melania Trump just got the far-left Daily Beast to RETRACT a FAKE story connecting her to Epstein after she took LEGAL ACTION!
“…The Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding.”
GOD BLESS MELANIA!
— Bo Loudon (@BoLoudon) August 1, 2025
BREAKING: First Lady Melania Trump just got the far-left Daily Beast to RETRACT a FAKE story connecting her to Epstein after she took LEGAL ACTION!
The retraction marked a rare and complete backtrack by the outlet. The note read: “After this story was published, The Beast received a letter from First Lady Melania Trump’s attorney challenging the headline and framing of the article… After reviewing the matter, the Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding.”
Melania’s legal team reportedly acted quickly once the article surfaced online. According to sources close to the situation, her lawyer objected strongly to both the content and the implication that she had any personal or professional connection to Epstein. The publication’s rapid retraction suggests the legal concerns were taken seriously.
Wolff made his remarks on the Daily Beast’s podcast, suggesting that Melania, who came to New York in 1996 to model, had been introduced to Trump through a mutual contact—one allegedly connected to both Trump and Epstein. He claimed Melania had arrived “via a model agent,” and said that “Epstein knows her well.”
But this version of events does not line up with the account Melania herself has shared in her memoir. In her version, she met Donald Trump at a Fashion Week party in 1998 at New York City’s Kit Kat Klub. She says Trump approached her table, introduced himself, and struck up a conversation that eventually led to their long-term relationship and marriage in 2005.
They wrote a HIT PIECE on Melania Trump trying to tie her to Epstein and when she confronted them they DELETED and RETRACTED!
The Daily Beast is TRASH! pic.twitter.com/o8qNjzShn8
— Gunther Eagleman
BREAKING: FAKE NEWS LOST AGAIN!
(@GuntherEagleman) The claim also doesn’t align with previous reporting, even from sources critical of the Trump family. Some journalists—including The Nation’s Jeet Heer and The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman—have questioned Wolff’s reliability in the past, citing instances where he allegedly got key facts wrong or leaned heavily on unverified sources.
Jeet Heer once described Wolff as “a shoddy, dishonest journalist” and urged readers to approach his work with caution. Haberman, who has covered the Trump White House extensively, has noted Wolff’s tendency to “get basic details wrong,” adding fuel to the backlash that followed the Daily Beast’s now-removed article.
The rush to connect Melania Trump to Epstein appears to be part of a broader pattern. In recent years, major outlets have repeatedly tried to link Epstein to high-profile political figures, especially those associated with the Trump administration. Epstein’s death in federal custody in 2019 only intensified public interest. His former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, remains a focus of ongoing investigations, including by the U.S. Justice Department, which is still gathering information on possible co-conspirators.
At the center of it all is a growing demand for transparency from both sides of the political aisle. Who knew Epstein? Who worked with him? And who may have been involved in his crimes?
These questions continue to haunt the public conversation—but in this case, the attempt to involve Melania Trump appears to have backfired.
As speculation around Epstein’s network continues, and investigators push for more names and details, one thing is clear: facts matter. And in an environment already flooded with half-truths, conspiracy theories, and agenda-driven reporting, retractions like this one send a loud message—maybe louder than the article itself.
