A federal judge dismissed Michael Wolff’s legal bid after Melania Trump’s attorneys threatened him with a $1 billion lawsuit, delivering a clear win for the first lady amid a clash tied to allegations involving Jeffrey Epstein.
When a judge signs off on a dismissal. the case doesn’t just end—it tilts the power in the room. On May 22, U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil threw out Michael Wolff’s lawsuit against Melania Trump. in a blistering 45-page ruling that closed the door on his attempt to get ahead of a threatened filing.
The dispute began after Wolff’s own public comments about Melania Trump and Jeffrey Epstein-related claims. In October 2025. Wolff sought a declaratory judgment and anti-SLAPP protections after Melania’s attorneys threatened to sue him for $1 billion over remarks he made during podcast appearances and interviews.
Wolff’s argument was straightforward: the statements he made were protected speech. The bestselling biographer behind *Fire & Fury: Inside the Trump White House* claimed the legal threat was meant to silence criticism and intimidate journalists through aggressive litigation tactics.
At the center were claims Wolff made on a podcast about how Melania Trump met Donald Trump—through Jeffrey Epstein’s social network—as well as allegations that Donald had affairs with friends’ wives. Wolff also said Donald and Melania first became intimate aboard Epstein’s private jet.
Wolff insisted he never accused Melania Trump of participating in Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal conduct. He framed many of his statements as constitutionally protected opinion.
Judge shuts it down
In her ruling, Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil dismissed Wolff’s lawsuit on procedural grounds tied to timing. She 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 judge concluded that Wolff was trying to litigate a dispute before Melania Trump had formally filed a lawsuit.
Even while shutting the case down, the ruling wasn’t lenient on either side. The judge criticized what she described as “an inappropriate level of tactical gamesmanship. ” adding that “the court will not be conscripted to oversee an abusively presented spat.” She did not rule on whether Wolff’s comments were defamatory.
Wolff had argued that the threatened lawsuit ran into New York’s anti-SLAPP protections. a legal framework meant to shield journalists and critics from lawsuits aimed at suppressing free speech. Anti-SLAPP is designed to counter “strategic lawsuits against public participation. ” a tactic used when wealthy or powerful figures allegedly weaponize the courts to intimidate opponents.
Wolff also sought a ruling that his remarks were legally protected and that Melania Trump could face legal liability if she later sued him unsuccessfully.
Melania’s team countered that the threat letter itself did not count as a lawsuit under New York law. The warning that triggered Wolff’s court fight came from Melania’s attorney. Alejandro Brito. who told Wolff that the first lady would be “left with no alternative” but to sue unless he retracted his comments.
Wolff and the money behind the fight
Wolff’s pursuit of the case was backed by small-dollar fundraising from supporters. The record in the story says he raised about $800,000 in small-dollar donations to fund his legal fight.
The first lady reacts
This legal clash sits alongside a separate, earlier moment when Melania Trump addressed Epstein-linked claims publicly in a surprise White House statement.
She began: “The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today. ” and said the people spreading those claims were “devoid of ethical standards. humility and respect.” She added: “I do not object to their ignorance. but rather. I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”.
Melania Trump also denied having any personal relationship with Epstein: “I have never been friends with Epstein.” She said Donald and she were “invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time,” citing overlapping social circles in New York City and Palm Beach.
“To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, [Ghislaine] Maxwell,” she said.
After Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil’s dismissal, Melania Trump’s spokesperson Nick Clemens defended her response in a statement to NBC News: “She is proud to continue standing up to, and fighting against, those who spread malicious and defamatory falsehoods.”
The sequence now leaves Wolff’s attempt at an early court win stranded, with the judge effectively saying the federal court won’t step in to decide who would prevail if a lawsuit ever arrives—especially when the dispute is being played before it is formally filed.
Melania Trump Michael Wolff Mary Kay Vyskocil anti-SLAPP $1 billion lawsuit Jeffrey Epstein Ghislaine Maxwell Fire and Fury Alejandro Brito Nick Clemens
So basically the judge told him “nice try”?
I don’t even know why he’s still talking about Epstein. If Melania got threatened with a billion, that’s a lot. Feels like lawsuits are just gonna keep scaring everyone into shutting up.
Wait, so the judge dismissed it because of timing, not because the claims are false? That seems like people are acting like it proves something either way. Also Wolff said he never accused her, but then they bring up the jet stuff like… come on.
This is why I hate anti-SLAPP and all that legal mumbo jumbo. One person says protected speech, the next minute it’s thrown out, and everyone’s like case closed. But if Melania can threaten a billion, that’s basically the same as silencing, right? I’m just confused how any of it “ends” when he’s the one who got dismissed, not the public conversation.