HarperCollins UK has issued a formal apology to former First Lady Melania Trump after publishing “unverified claims” about her in a recently released book. The statement of retraction and apology came on Tuesday, marking another victory for Melania Trump in her ongoing efforts to correct misinformation circulated by publishers and commentators.
The controversy centered around Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, a biography written by author Andrew Lownie. The book, which primarily focuses on Britain’s Prince Andrew and his connections to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, included a false claim suggesting that Epstein had introduced Melania Trump to Donald Trump.
In an official statement, HarperCollins UK said, “We have, in consultation with the author, removed passages of the book that referenced unverified claims about the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump.” The company confirmed that all copies containing those passages were being withdrawn from circulation, adding, “HarperCollins UK apologizes to the First Lady.”
Melania Trump shared the publisher’s statement with her nearly four million followers on X, reinforcing her stance against the spread of inaccurate or unverified information. The removal of the material comes after multiple corrections from reputable sources clarifying that Melania Trump met Donald Trump in 1998 at New York City’s Kit Kat Club — not through Epstein.
The incident underscores the former First Lady’s continuing campaign to defend her reputation and ensure that factual accuracy is upheld in media reporting. Yet this latest correction was not the first time Melania Trump has had to confront false claims publicly.
