Why is Melania Trump speaking out about Epstein now?
The first lady denied connections to the late convicted sex offender, telling reporters any claims linking the two "need to end".
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Key People
No people linked to this story
Locations
All Coverage
The first lady denied connections to the late convicted sex offender, telling reporters any claims linking the two "need to end".
The article centers on Paolo Zampolli, an Italian modeling agent and political figure with long-standing connections to the Trump family and the fashion world. Zampolli is credited with introducing Melania Knauss (now Melania Trump) to Donald Trump in 1998. His close involvement in elite circles of fashion, business, and politics has placed him at the crossroads of controversy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein.
First lady Melania Trump is denying ties to Jeffrey Epstein and knowledge of his crimes, saying Thursday that the "stories are completely false" and calling online accusations that she was somehow involved "smears about me." She emphasized that her limited and polite interactions with Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell were mischaracterized and did not indicate any personal relationship.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
How US commerce secretary's Epstein links were uncovered by British whistleblower
Simon Andriesz made the discovery about Howard Lutnick in publicly released Epstein files.
July 14, 2026 at 05:00 AMBillionaire Warren Buffett stops donations to Bill Gates charity
The investor's decision comes weeks after Gates' appearance before US Congress over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
July 14, 2026 at 06:05 PMWarren Buffett stops Gates Foundation donations following Epstein revelations - Reuters
Warren Buffett stops Gates Foundation donations following Epstein revelations Reuters
July 14, 2026 at 01:13 PMTop Democrats press Maine senate candidate to drop out of race over sexual assault allegation
Graham Platner denied the allegation, calling it "categorically false" but said he was "taking the time to reflect on the best path forward" in the race.
July 7, 2026 at 03:04 AMItaly's Meloni seeks to avoid escalation after Trump revives personal feud - Reuters
Italy's Meloni seeks to avoid escalation after Trump revives personal feud Reuters
July 7, 2026 at 11:20 AMJPMorgan's Dimon questioned on whether he lobbied UK government on Epstein's advice - Reuters
JPMorgan's Dimon questioned on whether he lobbied UK government on Epstein's advice Reuters
July 13, 2026 at 05:29 PM