Melania Trump has denied any connection to Jeffrey Epstein, calling the allegations linking her to the case slanderous.

In a rare public statement from the White House on Thursday, the U.S. First Lady stressed that reports linking her to Epstein are false and must stop. “The lies linking me to the vile Jeffrey Epstein must stop today,” she said.

She clarified that she never had a personal relationship with Epstein or with his close associate Ghislaine Maxwell, with whom she had only occasional communication.

Melania Trump emphasized that she was not a victim of Epstein, categorically rejecting the reports.

“Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband by chance,” she added.

“I never had any knowledge of Epstein’s victims. I was never involved in any way. I was never on his plane, and I never visited his private island.”

At the same time, she urged Congress to hold a public hearing focused on Epstein’s victims to give them an opportunity to testify before lawmakers and have their testimony officially recorded.

Jeffrey Epstein was re-arrested in 2019 on federal charges of sexual exploitation of minors. That same year, he was found dead in his cell in a Manhattan jail, with authorities concluding it was a suicide.