First Lady Melania Trump is threatening legal action seeking more than $1bn from Hunter Biden after he alleged she was introduced to Donald Trump by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Lawyers for the first lady say the accusation is false and damaging, and have demanded a public retraction and apology.
Biden, son of former president Joe Biden, made the statement in an interview earlier this month while discussing Donald Trump’s past links to Epstein.
Trump has acknowledged knowing Epstein but claims they ended their friendship in the early 2000s after a dispute over staff at his Florida golf club.
The legal notice sent to Biden’s attorney accuses him of repeating an unfounded claim originally linked to journalist Michael Wolff and a Daily Beast article.
The outlet has since withdrawn the piece, apologised, and removed it from its website after a challenge from the first lady’s legal team.
The letter says Biden relied on the deleted story and that his comments caused serious financial and reputational harm.
The first lady’s lawyers have also accused Biden of using high-profile names to attract attention.
Harper’s Bazaar previously reported that Melania met Trump in 1998 at a modelling industry party, years after his separation from Marla Maples.
There is no verified evidence that Epstein introduced the couple.
The dispute comes amid public calls for the release of confidential documents tied to Epstein’s criminal case.
Trump has previously pledged to make such records public if returned to office, while US authorities say no incriminating client list exists.