Daily Beast apologizes to Melania Trump over retracted Jeffrey Epstein article
Daily Beast has retracted an article based on Michael Wolff’s allegations and issued a public apology to Melania Trump after her lawyers challenged the claims.
The Daily Beast has issued a public apology to First Lady Melania Trump after publishing and later retracting an article that claimed she was introduced to US President Donald Trump through convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The outlet admitted the story, based on allegations by journalist Michael Wolff, failed to meet its editorial standards.
Melania Trump shared the apology on her X (formerly Twitter) account with the caption, “Retraction & Apology from The Daily Beast.”
Retraction after legal pressure
According to Fox News, the article in question, originally headlined ‘Melania Trump ‘Very Involved’ in Epstein Scandal: Author’ was published in July. It was removed shortly after the First Lady’s legal team sent a letter challenging the story’s headline and framing. At the time, the article was quietly pulled, but no direct apology was issued.
On Monday, September 15, the Daily Beast formally addressed the issue. In its statement, the outlet said, “Upon reflection, we have determined that the article did not meet our standards and has therefore been removed from our platforms”.
In their statement, the news outlet further added that in response to a letter from the First Lady’s attorneys, The Daily Beast also removed a portion of an episode of their podcast titled ‘Trump’s Epstein Scandal Can’t Stop Won’t Stop’ referencing Melania. “We apologize to the First Lady and our readers,” they wrote.
Allegations by Michael Wolff
As per New York Post report, the narrative originated from Wolff’s remarks on The Daily Beast Podcast. Wolff reported that Melania Trump was "very involved" in her husband's purported ties to Epstein and that a modelling agent connected to the disgraced financier introduced her to Donald Trump.
Wolff has faced criticism in the past over the accuracy of his reporting. His best-selling book Fire and Fury had raised eyebrows after many individuals he quoted did not remember saying what he attributed to them. Additionally, in past interviews, his implications related to other public figures, most notably, Nikki Haley, have been referred to as offensive and unfounded. Wolff did not respond immediately to an inquiry regarding the retracted Daily Beast article.
Broader pushback against Epstein allegations
Melania Trump's legal representatives have taken action with respect to similar allegations in the past. As previously reported, Democratic strategist James Carville issued an apology, and modified an episode of his Politics War Room podcast, after he insinuated a connection between Melania Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. Additionally, Melania Trump's legal representatives threatened to sue Hunter Biden after he referenced Wolff's allegations during an interview for his podcast.
In her 2024 memoir, Melania, the First Lady, explained that she did meet Donald Trump in September 1998 at a Fashion Week party, not as a result of a meeting with Epstein, and that the couple got married in 2005.
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FAQs:
Why did The Daily Beast apologize to Melania Trump?
The news outlet admitted its story linking her to Jeffrey Epstein did not meet editorial standards and was based on unverified allegations.
Who made the allegations about Melania Trump and Epstein?
Journalist Michael Wolff, during an interview for The Daily Beast Podcast.
How did Melania Trump respond?
She shared The Daily Beast’s apology on X, highlighting the retraction.
