Unearthed Epstein email raises new questions about Melania Trump, report says
A recently surfaced 2009 email has raised questions about connections between Jeffrey Epstein’s network and Trump Model Management, the agency once associated with First Lady Melania Trump.
The email, obtained from files published by the Justice Department, was forwarded to Epstein by modeling agent Ramsey Elkholy after Trump Model Management rejected a model.
This exchange has drawn attention due to Epstein’s known ties to the modeling industry and Melania’s path to the United States.
Details about the 2009 email
The message was signed by an individual identified only as “corinne.”
Journalist Kaitlyn Pierce, writing as Kait Justice, suggests that “corinne” may have been Corinne Nicolas, former president of Trump Model Management before its closure in 2017.
“At this time, I don’t feel that she is right for us,” the email stated and then thanked the recipients for considering Trump Models. Elkholy then forwarded the message to Epstein the same day, Pierce wrote.
Elkholy’s correspondence with Epstein reportedly spanned nearly a decade and included discussions about women he was connected to through his work as a modeling agent.
The emails indicate a broader business relationship, with Elkholy proposing investments in Brazil’s fashion and modeling industries to expand their access to women.
In a 2011 email, Elkholy described a woman in her 20s as financially distressed and appeared to encourage Epstein to “try her in bed,” according to BBC.
Melania’s path to the U.S. is under scrutiny
The exchange has drawn scrutiny because Melania was previously represented by Trump Model Management before marrying Donald Trump.
Pierce also examined similarities between services used by Epstein-linked modeling agencies and the arrangements that brought Melania Knauss to the United States.
Melania arrived in New York in 1996 after being recruited in Europe by modeling agent Paolo Zampolli, who has stated he obtained her work visa for the United States.
“An FBI witness says Epstein reviewed portfolios and attended castings at Zampolli’s agency. In March 2025, Trump gave Zampolli a State Department position,” Pierce wrote.
She also pointed to the broader network surrounding Epstein-linked modeling operations, including MC2, an agency co-founded by Jean-Luc Brunel.
The email does not accuse Melania of wrongdoing
Pierce has been careful to distinguish the newly surfaced material from any allegation that the First Lady participated in criminal activity.
“Melania’s name appears nowhere on the pages we can read, and I am not accusing her of committing anyone’s crimes,” she wrote.
The latest scrutiny instead centers on what the 2009 correspondence may reveal about connections between individuals in the modeling industry and Epstein.
According to Pierce, “Another model agent working with Epstein sent a woman to Trump Model Management. Trump Models interviewed her, rejected her and sent its decision back through Ramsey Elkholy, who forwarded it directly to Epstein. On that same day, Epstein told Elkholy that “Jean Luc” would take an unnamed woman instead.”
Melania has previously denied connections to Epstein
The newly examined correspondence has raised questions about the broader modeling network connected to Melania’s arrival in the United States.
However, Melania previously held a press conference to clarify that she had no relationship with Epstein. She called the rumors “mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation” and said they “need to end.”
“I was never involved in any capacity. I was not a participant,” she said, per BBC.