WASHINGTON D.C. – First Lady Melania Trump has threatened to file a defamation lawsuit seeking more than $1 billion in damages against Hunter Biden, son of former President Joe Biden, over claims he made linking her introduction to her husband with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In a sharply worded cease-and-desist letter sent Thursday, Mrs. Trump’s attorney demanded an immediate and public retraction and apology from Mr. Biden for what they described as "malicious, false, and highly damaging" statements. The legal notice marks a significant escalation in tensions between the nation's most prominent political families.

The Allegation and The Rebuttal

The controversy stems from comments Hunter Biden made during a recent appearance on a political podcast. In the interview, Mr. Biden alleged that Melania Trump was introduced to Donald Trump by Jeffrey Epstein. This claim directly contradicts the long-established public account of how the couple met.

According to widespread reporting and the Trumps' own statements over the years, they were introduced in 1998 at a New York Fashion Week party by Paolo Zampolli, a modeling agency owner. At the time, Donald Trump was separated from his second wife, Marla Maples.

The First Lady's legal team, in a statement obtained by the BBC, called Hunter Biden’s claim "an outright lie" with "no basis in reality." The letter states that associating Mrs. Trump with Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, constitutes defamation per se due to the severe reputational harm it inflicts.

Legal and Political Ramifications

Legal experts suggest that for a defamation suit to succeed, Mrs. Trump, as a public figure, would need to prove that Mr. Biden made the statement with "actual malice"—meaning he either knew it was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. The demand for over $1 billion in damages is intended to underscore the gravity of the allegation.

The legal threat introduces a volatile new element into the already fraught political landscape. It pits the current First Lady directly against the son of a former president, ensuring the story remains in the headlines and further deepens partisan divisions. Representatives for Hunter Biden have not yet issued a public response to the legal notice.

This is not the first time Melania Trump has pursued legal action to protect her reputation. In 2017, she settled a lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail for an article that made false claims about her past.

Awaiting a Response

The cease-and-desist letter gives Hunter Biden a specific timeframe to issue a full retraction and apology across the same platforms where the original claim was amplified. Failure to comply, the letter warns, will result in the immediate filing of a lawsuit in federal court.

As of Saturday morning, it remains unclear how Mr. Biden's legal team will proceed. The choice to retract or to challenge the claim in court will have significant personal and political consequences, potentially leading to a protracted and high-profile legal battle.

The incident highlights the combustible nature of modern political discourse, where personal accusations involving figures from the past can quickly ignite into major legal and public relations crises.