Melania Trump has scored a significant courtroom victory in her feud with biographer Michael Wolff.
Wolff, who has written several books about Donald Trump, filed an anti-SLAPP lawsuit against the First Lady, but the case has now been dismissed.
The lawsuit came shortly after Melania threatened to sue the biographer for defamation over several allegations he made linking her to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Judge Rips Case Against Melania Trump
U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil brought an end to Michael Wolff’s attempt to strike the first legal blow in his feud with Melania Trump, which began after he made a series of accusations linking her to Epstein.
Wolff filed an anti-SLAPP lawsuit against Melania in October to fend off a potential defamation case over his claims. However, in her 45-page ruling, Vyskocil accused the biographer of seeking special treatment.
“Plaintiff asks for a declaration that, if the first lady sues him, he deserves to win. That is not how the federal courts work,” Vyskocil wrote, before accusing him of “textbook bad-faith forum shopping.”
“The outcome is simple,” the judge continued. “The court will not be conscripted to oversee an abusively presented spat and so declines to reach the merits here.”
Michael Wolff Accused Melania Of Retaliation
In the dismissed lawsuit, Wolff claimed that his statements about Melania were not defamatory and accused the First Lady of retaliating against him.
He also took a swipe at the Trump family at large, alleging that they were creating “a climate of fear in the nation so that people cannot freely or confidently exercise their First Amendment rights.”
Wolff described Trump as Melania’s “unitary executive” husband and slammed his supporters as “MAGA myrmidons” who “have made a practice of threatening those who speak against them with costly SLAPP actions.”
He claimed such moves were used to silence and intimidate critics, as well as to “extract unjustified payments and North Korean-style confessions and apologies.”
Melania Trump Was Linked To Epstein By Michael Wolff
Wolff’s initial claims about Melania and Epstein came during an interview with Daily Beast chief content officer Joanna Coles for “The Daily Beast Podcast.”
He claimed that the mother of one was “very involved” in Epstein’s social circles, seemingly suggesting that she was aware of, and possibly involved in, his crimes.
Wolff further alleged that FLOTUS met Trump through a modeling agent who was well acquainted with Epstein, adding that the late sex offender knew her well.
An article linking to the Daily Beast interview was later taken down after Melania filed a lawsuit against the outlet.
Melania Denied Any Ties To Jeffrey Epstein
Though Melania has yet to file the $1 billion defamation lawsuit she threatened Wolff with, she has publicly denied any ties to Epstein.
In a speech from the White House on April 9, Melania called for “the lies linking her to Epstein to end today,” adding that she has “never been friends” with the sex offender.
She also denied being his victim and noted that he was not the one who introduced her to Trump, although they did cross paths in the past.
Melania ended her statement by advocating for Epstein’s victims and urging Congress to give the women an opportunity to testify.
“Epstein was not alone. I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors. Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress,” Melania said.
Wolff Hit Back After Melania Trump’s Public Denial
Days after Melania’s remarks, Wolff issued a rebuttal of sorts that centered on her threat to sue him.
“This is the first time a first lady would have sued a journalist or media organizations who are saying things about her,” the writer said. “I don’t think there’s any instance of a president or the first lady suing the media.”
He also linked Melania’s statement to her alleged desire to stay hidden and “control her version of her life after she came to New York in the 1990s.”
Wolff claimed Melania’s actions contrasted with those of her predecessors, adding that the public has a right to “literally say anything they want about these people who have such power in our lives.”