Federal Judge Dismisses Michael Wolff’s Preemptive Lawsuit Against Melania Trump

A federal judge has dismissed a preemptive lawsuit filed by author and journalist Michael Wolff against First Lady Melania Trump, ruling that the case was improperly brought before the court and criticizing the legal strategy behind the filing.

In a 45-page opinion issued Friday, U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil of the Southern District of New York declined to exercise jurisdiction over the lawsuit, despite acknowledging that a legitimate dispute exists between the parties. Vyskocil, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, described the action as a “contorted” attempt to secure a favorable ruling before any defamation lawsuit had been filed, calling it an example of “inappropriate… tactical gamesmanship.”

“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 dispute centers on comments Wolff made linking Melania Trump to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Following those remarks, Melania Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, sent Wolff a demand letter requesting that he retract the statements and warning that failure to do so could result in a defamation lawsuit seeking substantial damages.

Instead of waiting for such a lawsuit to be filed, Wolff sued in New York state court, seeking a declaration that his statements were protected by the First Amendment or had been taken out of context. He also argued that the Trump family has a history of using litigation to discourage critics. The case was later removed to federal court.

A spokesperson for the First Lady welcomed the ruling, saying Melania Trump remains committed to defending her reputation against what the spokesperson described as false and defamatory allegations.

Earlier this year, Melania Trump publicly denied any connection to Epstein or his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. She stated that she never visited Epstein’s private island, flew aboard his aircraft, or had any knowledge of his criminal conduct, calling the allegations completely false.

The dismissal does not resolve the underlying defamation dispute or determine the truth of the statements at issue. Instead, it leaves open the possibility that Melania Trump could pursue a defamation lawsuit through the normal legal process in another court, while Wolff has continued to defend his reporting and characterization of the events.