Melania Trump Seeks Sanctions Against Michael Wolff
First Lady Melania Trump has initiated a legal motion for sanctions against journalist Michael Wolff after her $1 billion defamation suit was dismissed. This action took place in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Her attorney, Alejandro Brito, formally reached out to Wolff, who is associated with the Daily Beast. Last year, Wolff claimed he would retract statements made in 2025 and 2026 that tied Mrs. Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, a known sex offender. Brito warned that failure to retract could lead to a significant defamation lawsuit, prompting Wolff to file a lawsuit against Mrs. Trump in October.
In a motion released recently, Mrs. Trump’s legal team criticized Wolff’s lawsuit, calling it a “fundraiser and political spectacle.” They are now seeking compensation for legal fees and damages related to this ongoing conflict.
A judge, Mary Kay Viscosil, referred to Wolff’s legal action as a “tactical maneuver” when she dismissed his lawsuit in May 2026. Court documents indicate that rather than retracting his statements, Wolff opted to file a lawsuit preemptively.
The motion claims: “Instead, he rushed to a New York courthouse to obtain improper preclearance of his statements, promoted the case across his media platforms, and used it to try to raise more than $836,000.” It continues, “Plaintiffs and their attorneys asserted legally baseless claims, supported them with factual claims unsupported by evidence, and used them to run a political and commercial campaign. They should pay Mrs. Trump’s fees and costs for their abusive process.”
Wolff is known for his controversial reporting and has authored several bestsellers about presidents, including “Fire and Fury.”
Mrs. Trump has consistently refuted any connection to Epstein, who passed away in 2019 while facing federal sex trafficking charges.
Interestingly, recently released DOJ documents indicated Wolff exchanged over 1,000 messages with Epstein and referred to him as a “good friend.”
