NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� A judge threw out author Michael Wolff鈥檚 lawsuit against first lady on Friday, ruling that his 鈥渃ontorted鈥� attempt to prevent her from suing him for $1 billion over his statements about her and 鈥渋s not how the federal courts work.鈥�
Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil in federal court in Manhattan chided Wolff for an 鈥渋nappropriate level of tactical gamesmanship鈥� and said she 鈥渨ill not be conscripted to oversee an abusively presented spat.鈥�
Vyskocil, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, agreed that Wolff and the first lady 鈥渉ave a real dispute,鈥� but said 鈥渢hey must litigate it according to the same procedures as everyone else.鈥�
Wolff sued Melania Trump last October after her lawyer, Alejandro Brito, told him in a letter that she would be 鈥渓eft with no alternative鈥� but to sue him if he didn鈥檛 retract statements that the lawyer said had caused her 鈥渙verwhelming reputational and financial harm.鈥�
Wolff wanted a judge to declare that he did not defame the first lady and that, were she to pursue a lawsuit against him, she would be liable for costs, fees and unspecified monetary damages.
Wolff originally sued in state court in New York under a law barring lawsuits designed to silence critics. Such lawsuits are known as SLAPPs, or strategic lawsuits against public participation. Brito then had the case transferred to federal court and later sought to have it dismissed or moved to a federal court in Florida.
Vyskocil, in her 45-page decision, said that while federal court does have jurisdiction, she was declining to exercise it and 鈥渄ismisses this case to be litigated like any other.鈥�
Nick Clemens, a spokesperson for Melania Trump, said she 鈥渋s 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.鈥�
In April, Melania Trump made a statement at the White House denying any affiliation with Epstein, the millionaire financier and convicted sex offender who killed himself in jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Reading prepared remarks, the first lady said she and her lawyers were fighting back against 鈥渦nfound and baseless lies鈥� that suggested she had ties to Epstein.
鈥淭he lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,鈥� Melania Trump said. 鈥淭he individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.鈥�
In his lawsuit, Wolff argued that the Trumps 鈥渉ave made a practice of threatening those who speak against them鈥� with costly legal actions 鈥渢o silence their speech, to intimidate their critics generally, and to extract unjustified payments and North Korean style confessions and apologies.鈥�
He said the threats were 鈥渄esigned to create a climate of fear in the nation so that people cannot freely or confidently exercise their First Amendment rights.鈥�
Wolff has published a dozen books, including four bestsellers about the president.
Wolff said in the lawsuit that Melania Trump鈥檚 threat to sue him was related to statements he made to The Daily Beast and in three social media videos. Some statements were incomplete phrases and were taken out of context, he said.
Others, the lawsuit said, were protected speech. For instance, the statement that the Trumps were in a 鈥渟ham marriage, trophy marriage,鈥� was a 鈥渇air and justified鈥� statement of opinion, it said.
The lawsuit noted that Wolff never said Melania Trump was involved in any of Epstein鈥檚 crimes.
In July 2025, after receiving a letter from Brito, The Daily Beast retracted an article titled, 鈥淢elania Trump 鈥榁ery Involved鈥� in Epstein Scandal: Author,鈥� that was based on an interview with Wolff.
Wolff, in his lawsuit, said his comments pertained to the first lady鈥檚 鈥渋nvolvement鈥� last year managing the matter 鈥渂ehind the scenes鈥� at the White House 鈥� not that she was involved in any of Epstein鈥檚 crimes.
Among other statements Wolff said were true were those his comments about Melania Trump meeting Donald Trump in Epstein鈥檚 social circle, and that Donald Trump liked to have sex with his friend鈥檚 wives and first slept with Melania Trump on Epstein鈥檚 private jet.
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Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington contributed.
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