A federal judge in Manhattan dismissed journalist Michael Wolff’s lawsuit against First Lady Melania Trump on Wednesday, clearing the legal path for Trump to proceed with her own $1 billion defamation claim over statements Wolff made regarding her alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil characterized Wolff’s filing as a “contorted” legal maneuver and said it did not reflect how federal courts typically operate. Although Vyskocil, an appointee of President Donald Trump, acknowledged that both parties have a genuine underlying dispute, she declined to involve the court in what she called an “inappropriately” presented conflict.
What Happened
Wolff filed the October lawsuit in state court after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Melania Trump’s legal team. The first lady’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, demanded that Wolff delete statements he had made linking Trump to the financier Epstein and warned of impending litigation if he refused to comply. Wolff responded by initiating his own suit, arguing he was seeking protection against what he characterized as a pattern of intimidation.
Brito subsequently moved the case to federal court. Vyskocil ruled that while federal jurisdiction existed, she would not exercise it, dismissing the case to proceed through normal state court channels. The judge declined to engage further, saying she would not be “drafted to oversee” the dispute.
The Reaction
A spokesperson for Melania Trump issued a statement saying the first lady “is proud to continue standing up to, and fighting against, those who spread malicious and defamatory falsehoods as they desperately try to get undeserved attention and money from their unlawful conduct.” Trump’s legal team has previously argued that Wolff’s statements caused her “overwhelming reputational and financial harm.”
In April, Trump held a press conference addressing the controversy directly. “The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility, and respect. I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.” Trump has consistently denied any association with Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Wolff maintained in his litigation that some of his statements were protected opinion or taken out of context. He argued in court filings that he never accused Trump of involvement in criminal conduct related to Epstein, and that his characterization of the Trump marriage as a “sham” and “trophy marriage” represented fair commentary. The Daily Beast retracted an article based on Wolff’s claims last summer after receiving correspondence from Brito.
What This Means
The ruling removes Wolff’s primary legal obstacle to Melania Trump’s anticipated defamation suit. By dismissing the case rather than keeping it in federal court, Vyskocil effectively returned the dispute to state court terrain, where Trump’s legal team can now pursue its billion-dollar claim on clearer footing. The decision underscores judicial skepticism of Wolff’s preventive litigation strategy while acknowledging the underlying substantive disagreement between the parties.
Republican lawmakers have expressed support for the first lady’s position. Rep. Nancy Mace praised Trump for advocating for legislation addressing nonconsensual intimate imagery, while Democratic lawmakers called for congressional hearings into broader Epstein-related matters. In her April statement, Trump urged Congress to act on the issue and called for victims to testify under oath.
The case now heads toward the actual litigation phase, where questions of defamation, protected speech, and damages will be litigated in state court. The judicial dismissal signals that while federal courts declined to referee the dispute preemptively, the underlying claims appear substantial enough to warrant full adjudication through the normal legal process.
