(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) One of the world’s largest book publishers publicly apologized to First Lady Melania Trump after publishing an uncorroborated claim that she was introduced to President Donald Trump by the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
HarperCollins UK published the apology on Tuesday on X, saying that the book, The Rise and Fall of the House of York, had been recalled and that future editions would not include the disputed passages.
Written by British author Andrew Lownie, the book primarily focuses on Prince Andrew, brother of King Charles III and an Epstein associate. However, it also claimed that Epstein “facilitated” the first meeting between the first lady and President Trump.
Melania and Donald Trump have repeatedly stated they met through former modeling agent Paolo Zampolli at a New York Fashion Week party in 1998.
Despite no evidence, several news outlets and media personalities repeated the Epstein claim, prompting legal threats from the First Lady. HarperCollins is just the latest publisher to apologize.
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) October 7, 2025
“We have, in consultation with the author, removed several passages of the book that referenced unverified claims about the First Lady of the United States Melania Trump,” the British book publisher wrote. “Copies of the book that include those references are being permanently removed from distribution.”
It added, “HarperCollins UK apologizes to the First Lady.”
According to The New York Times, the conspiracy theories began after Epstein falsely took credit for linking Melania, then a model, with Trump.
Other entities and individuals who have issued similar apologies include Democratic strategist and podcast host James Carville and The Daily Beast.
Hunter Biden, the embattled son of former President Joe Biden, made the claim but has yet to apologize, even after Trump threatened legal action for $1 billion.
Melania Trump threatened Hunter Biden with a billion dollar lawsuit, demanding we retract our last interview and Hunter issue a formal apology. His response: pic.twitter.com/d4KYqxPcxz
— Channel 5 (@Channel5iveNews) August 14, 2025
