A federal judge in Manhattan on Friday dismissed a lawsuit filed by author and journalist Michael Wolff against First Lady Melania Trump, calling the case a “contorted” and tactically aggressive attempt to use the courts in a way they are not designed to operate.
U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, a Trump appointee, declined to take jurisdiction even while recognizing that Wolff and the first lady have a genuine dispute. In a 45-page opinion, she criticized what she described as an “inappropriate level of tactical gamesmanship” and said she would not let the court be pulled into “an abusively presented spat.”
“While Plaintiff and the First Lady have a real dispute, they must litigate it according to the same procedures as everyone else,” Vyskocil wrote. “Plaintiff asks for a declaration that, if the First Lady sues him, he deserves to win. That is not how the federal courts work.”
The case grew out of public comments by Wolff connecting Melania Trump to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges. Last year, Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito sent Wolff a demand letter insisting he delete the statements and warning that failure to do so would leave the first lady with “no alternative” but to sue for defamation. The letter cited “overwhelming reputational and financial harm.”
Wolff responded by suing in New York state court in October. He sought to block a potential $1 billion defamation action and argued that some of his remarks were protected opinion or had been taken out of context. He also alleged that the Trumps have a pattern of using legal threats to silence critics. Brito then moved the case to federal court.
Vyskocil’s ruling returns the matter to ordinary litigation channels rather than resolving the underlying claims. A spokesperson for the first lady welcomed the decision, saying Melania Trump “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.”
In an April White House press conference, Melania Trump addressed the allegations directly. “The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said. She denied any friendship or involvement with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, stating she had never visited Epstein’s island, flown on his plane, or known of his crimes. She said she met her husband independently at a New York party in 1998 and rejected what she called mean-spirited efforts to damage her reputation.
Wolff has said he did not accuse the first lady of criminal involvement with Epstein and that some comments referred to her behind-the-scenes role in White House matters tied to the scandal. The Daily Beast later retracted an article based on an interview with Wolff after receiving Brito’s letter.
The first lady’s public remarks drew bipartisan reaction at the time. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace praised her for standing with Epstein victims and for advocacy on issues such as deepfake intimate images. Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia supported her call for congressional hearings so victims could testify under oath.
Wolff, known for books on the Trump administration, has framed the legal pressure as part of a broader campaign to intimidate critics. Friday’s dismissal does not decide whether his statements were defamatory. It leaves the dispute open to further litigation through conventional procedures, including the possibility of a case in Florida.
