Daily Beast apologizes to Melania Trump over retracted Epstein allegations article

The Daily Beast issued a public apology to first lady Melania Trump and retracted an article that alleged she was introduced to her husband, President Donald Trump, via a modeling agent connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

The outlet acknowledged the story, which relied on allegations by journalist Michael Wolff, did not meet editorial standards. It was initially pulled in July after the left-leaning site received a legal threat from the first lady's attorney challenging "the headline and framing." The Daily Beast formally apologized on Monday in a statement that Melania Trump shared on X.

"The Daily Beast recently published a story headlined 'Melania Trump 'Very Involved' in Epstein Scandal: Author' based on an interview with Michael Wolff. Upon reflection, we have determined that the article did not meet our standards and has therefore been removed from our platforms," The Daily Beast said in a statement. 

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"In response to a letter from the first lady's attorneys, The Daily Beast has also removed a portion of an episode of The Daily Beast Podcast titled 'Trump's Epstein Scandal Can't Stop Won't Stop' referencing the first lady," the statement continued. "The first lady points to her bestselling book Melania as the definitive account of her life story. We apologize to the first lady and our readers."  

Wolff initially made the allegations in an interview with Daily Beast chief content officer Joanna Coles for The Daily Beast Podcast. They were discussing Trump's alleged connections with Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in 2019.

"[Melania] was very involved in this Epstein relationship. There is this model thing, and 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," Wolff alleged. 

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Wolff did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In July, he told Fox News Digital that he had nothing to do with the article. 

Wolff's reporting style and credibility in the journalism industry has long faced scrutiny. In 2018, the journalist told Bill Maher he had evidence that Trump was having an affair and claimed that a clue to his mistress' identity could be found at the end of his White House tell-all "Fire and Fury." 

Readers identified passages that seemed to implicate then-United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. Haley called the insinuation "disgusting" and "highly offensive."

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In a subsequent interview on "Morning Joe," Wolff denied that he ever insinuated Haley was having an affair with Trump, but then said he "found it puzzling that she would deny something she was not accused of," prompting co-host Mika Brzezinski to accuse him of "having fun… slurring a woman" and end the interview abruptly. 

Multiple figures in Trump's orbit also denied having made quotes attributed to them in "Fire and Fury."

Fox News Digital's David Spector contributed to this report.