A federal judge in Manhattan has dismissed journalist Michael Wolff’s lawsuit against First Lady Melania Trump, rejecting what she called a “contorted” effort to head off a threatened billion-dollar defamation case over comments linking her to Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, a Donald Trump appointee, ruled that Wolff’s preemptive suit was “not how the federal courts work.” In a 45-page opinion issued May 22, 2026, she wrote that Wolff was asking the court “for a declaration that, if the first lady sues him, he deserves to win.” That, she said, is not the court’s role.
Vyskocil acknowledged that the two sides have a “real dispute.” Still, she declined to decide the merits. “It’s an inappropriate level of tactical gamesmanship,” she wrote. “The Court will not be conscripted to oversee an abusively presented spat.” While the court had jurisdiction because the parties are citizens of different states and a large sum is at stake, she declined to exercise it and dismissed the case “to be litigated like any other.”
The fight began after Trump’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, sent Wolff a demand letter last year. The letter accused Wolff of statements that caused “overwhelming reputational and financial harm” and warned that Trump would have “no alternative” but to sue if he did not retract them. Wolff responded by filing first in New York state court in October 2025, seeking a declaration that his remarks were not defamatory and that any suit by Trump would violate New York’s anti-SLAPP law, which is meant to deter lawsuits designed to silence speech.
Brito had the case removed to federal court and later asked that it be dismissed or transferred to Florida, where Trump has since pursued her own action. Vyskocil found that Wolff had won a “race to the courthouse” but engaged in “textbook bad-faith forum shopping” by trying to litigate New York defenses against a threatened Florida claim.
Wolff, who has written several books about Donald Trump, argued in his complaint that the president and first lady “have made a practice of threatening those who speak against them” with expensive lawsuits “to silence their speech, to intimidate their critics generally, and to extract unjustified payments.” He also said he never accused Melania Trump of criminal involvement with Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on child sex-trafficking charges.
The Daily Beast last summer retracted an article titled “Melania Trump ‘Very Involved’ in Epstein Scandal: Author,” which was based on an interview with Wolff, after receiving a letter from Brito. In that interview, Wolff said the first lady was “behind the scenes” dealing with the White House response, not involved in criminal activity.
Melania Trump has repeatedly denied any association with Epstein. “The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said at an April press conference. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility, and respect.” A spokesperson said after the ruling that she “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.”
The first lady has also called on Congress to let Epstein victims testify under oath. “Now is the time for Congress to act,” she said. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace praised her for standing with victims and backing legislation against nonconsensual intimate images. Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia said he agreed with her call for a public hearing and urged House Oversight Chairman James Comer to schedule one.
The New York case is now closed. The underlying dispute over Wolff’s statements remains for other courts to decide.
