The late Jeffrey Epstein’s victims have spoken out after first lady Melania Trump attempted to distance herself from the convicted sex offender in a White House speech.
“Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have already shown extraordinary courage by coming forward, filing reports and giving testimony. Asking more of them now is a deflection of responsibility, not justice,” a statement signed by 15 Epstein survivors read on Thursday, April 9. “It also diverts attention from [former attorney general] Pam Bondi, who must answer for withheld files and the exposure of survivors’ identities.”
Their statement concluded, “[Bondi’s] failures continue to put lives at risk while shielding enablers. Survivors have done their part. Now it’s time for those in power to do theirs.”
The Epstein survivors took issue with a portion of Melania’s White House speech on Thursday where she encouraged victims to give sworn testimony to Congress in a public hearing. The survivors also echoed criticisms that the Justice Department’s release of Epstein files was handled haphazardly, with identifying information left unredacted in some cases and other important documents allegedly never being published at all.
President Donald Trump confirmed on April 2 that Bondi, 60, was leaving her role as attorney general to take “a much needed and important new job in the private sector,” though multiple media outlets reported that she was fired due to the president’s displeasure with her recent job performance. (Trump previously opposed the release of the Epstein files, dismissing the issue as a distraction in September 2025. He later reversed course by signing legislation to allow the release of the files.)
Meanwhile, Melania, 55, stunned beltway insiders on Thursday by distancing herself from Epstein during an impromptu speech at the White House. The first lady specifically denied rumors that Epstein introduced her to the president.
“I am not Epstein’s victim,” she said. “Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. … I have never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity. I met my husband by chance at a New York City party in 1998. This initial encounter with my husband is documented in detail in my book, Melania.”
She continued, “[The rumors] with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today. The 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.”
The first lady insisted that she’d “never been friends” with Epstein and downplayed the significance of personal emails she’d exchanged with his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
“My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note,” she said in her speech to the nation.
She added, “Numerous fake images and statements about Epstein and me have been circulating on social media for years now. Be cautious about what you believe. These images and stories are completely false. I am not a witness or a named witness in connection with any of Epstein’s crimes. My name has never appeared in court documents, depositions, victim statements or FBI interviews surrounding the Epstein matter.”
Her seemingly unprompted speech seemingly took the White House by surprise, as Donald later told MS Now in a “brief call” that he had no idea that his wife planned to publicly address the controversy.
Asked about his wife’s connection to Epstein, Donald replied, “She didn’t know [him].”
In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to charges of child prostitution and soliciting a prostitute and served 13 months behind bars. He died by suicide at age 66 in August 2019 after being arrested on federal sex trafficking charges.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted of sex trafficking charges in 2022. She maintains her innocence and is actively seeking a pardon from the White House.
If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
