The Daily Beast has removed an article from its website and issued a public editor’s note after receiving a legal challenge from first lady Melania Trump’s attorney over claims involving convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The article, which cited controversial remarks made by author and journalist Michael Wolff during a podcast interview, is no longer available on the outlet’s platform or through major search engines.
The piece originally amplified allegations from Wolff, a long-time biographer of former President Donald Trump, during an appearance on The Daily Beast’s podcast.
The now-deleted article included comments made by Wolff in which he discussed Melania Trump’s alleged connection to Epstein through modeling industry ties.
The headline that appeared on Apple News read: “Melania Trump ‘Very Involved’ in Epstein Scandal: Author.”
That headline, along with the entire article, was removed following receipt of a formal letter from Melania Trump’s legal counsel.
The Daily Beast confirmed the removal in an editor’s note published Wednesday.
“After this story was published, The Beast received a letter from First Lady Melania Trump’s attorney challenging the headline and framing of the article,” the note stated.
“After reviewing the matter, the Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding.”
The outlet did not confirm whether any factual inaccuracies were found in the article, nor did it clarify whether the claims made by Wolff had been independently verified prior to publication.
The removal came swiftly after the legal correspondence was received, however.
Despite the article’s removal, the podcast episode remains publicly accessible on YouTube.
The interview, hosted by Joanna Coles, aired on Saturday.
In the video, Wolff discusses Melania Trump’s alleged association with Epstein beginning around the 26:36 mark of the recording.
During the interview, Wolff claimed that Melania met Donald Trump in 1998 through modeling agent Paolo Zampolli, who has previously been connected to Epstein in various media reports.
“She was very involved in this Epstein relationship,” Wolff stated.
“I mean, there was this model thing… She’s introduced by a model agent, both of whom Trump and Epstein are involved with. She’s introduced to Trump that way. Epstein knows her well. Epstein says the first time Donald Trump and Melania have sex is on his airplane.”
Wolff added that Melania’s presence in Epstein’s orbit represented “another complicated dimension” and also mentioned her place in “this whole culture of models of indeterminant age,” as quoted by The Wrap.
These comments were not included in Wolff’s latest book but were made during the podcast as part of his promotional appearances.
Wolff is known for his three books on the Trump White House—Fire and Fury, Siege, and Landslide—all of which contain unverified claims and anonymous sources.
His reporting style has been frequently criticized for relying heavily on unnamed informants and anecdotal evidence, though he remains a widely read author in political publishing.
