First Lady Melania Trump has strongly denied any connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, calling recent allegations “defaming” and urging them to stop immediately.

Speaking from the White House in a rare public statement, she said she never had a personal or professional relationship with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. She acknowledged only brief, casual correspondence and insisted that she and Epstein merely moved in overlapping social circles in New York and Palm Beach.

Melania Trump also rejected claims that Epstein played any role in her meeting with President Donald Trump, stating she met her husband independently at a New York City event in 1998.

She further urged the US Congress to hold public hearings for victims of Epstein’s abuse, emphasizing that survivors deserve a platform and justice.

The statement comes as renewed scrutiny grows around Epstein’s ties to powerful political and business figures, following the release of additional documents by US authorities. Epstein, who was previously convicted on prostitution-related charges and later arrested on sex trafficking allegations, died in a New York jail in 2019.

The White House has not clarified why the First Lady chose to address the issue at this time.