Melania Trump has denied ever having a relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and said the claims about it are defaming her.
"The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today," Ms Trump said in a rare address from the White House.
She said she had never had a relationship with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, with whom she said she had only a casual correspondence.
"I am not Epstein's victim," Ms Trump said.
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She went on to say that the convicted paedophile was not the one who introduced her husband, Donald Trump.
The First Lady revealed that she first met Epstein in 2000, when she attended an event with the Mr Trump.
She said: "To be clear, I never had relations with Epstein or his accomplice Maxwell.
"I never been friends with Epstein. Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time.
Melania Trump has denied any relationship with Jeffrey Epstein
|REUTERS
"Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband by chance.
"Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time, since overlapping in social circles is common."
She confirmed she was at parties with Epstein in New York and Palm Beach.
She stated her email reply to Maxwell, "cannot be categorised as anything more then casual correspondence."
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