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Judge Dismisses Trump's $10 Billion Defamation Suit Over Epstein Letter
Confirmed
In Short: A federal judge dismissed President Trump's lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over a story about a sexually suggestive letter allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled, on October 31, 2026.
The case centered on a 2003 birthday album compiled for Jeffrey Epstein, which included a sexually suggestive letter reportedly bearing Trump's name.
Trump dismissed the story as 'FAKE' and filed the lawsuit, claiming the letter was fabricated to malign his character.
Judge Gayles ruled that Trump did not prove the defendants acted with 'actual malice,' a standard set by the Supreme Court's New York Times v. Sullivan decision.
The judge noted that the lawsuit's allegations regarding malice were 'conclusory, vague, and inconsistent,' failing to meet the legal threshold.
The Journal's spokesperson said, 'We’re pleased with the court’s decision.'
The lawsuit also accused the Journal of failing to interview Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking.
Trump's legal team argued that the publication should have disregarded the letter once he declared it fake, but the judge disagreed.
The dismissal with prejudice is permanent and prevents Trump from refiling the lawsuit.
The case highlights the legal challenges public figures face in defamation claims against media outlets.
What's confirmed
- The lawsuit was over a story the WSJ published last year describing a sexually suggestive letter that the paper said bore Mr. Trump's name and was included in a 2003 album compiled for Epstein's 50th birthday.
- A federal judge on Saturday dismissed President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over the paper’s reporting on his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
What's still developing
- The president dismissed the story as "FAKE" and filed a $20 billion lawsuit against the paper, its parent company News Corp, the company's CEO, the reporters who wrote the story and Rupert Murdoch, News Corp's chairman emeritus. House lawmakers later subpoenaed and obtained a redacted version of the birthday book from Epstein's estate, which included the letter at the center of Mr. Trump's lawsuit. Then-White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said : "It's very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it."
- Sullivan decision, requires public figures pursuing defamation claims to show that a publication knowingly made false statements or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
- The letter was reportedly collected by disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell as part of a birthday album for Epstein years before he was first arrested in 2006 and subsequently had a falling-out with Trump.
- Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
- It said his legal team wanted to examine whether the search warrants granted by a judge sitting at London’s Old Bailey court — formally known as the Central Criminal Court — were lawful.
- The force arrested the 66-year-old on his birthday on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
- “As these legal proceedings are currently ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.” Andrew’s arrest and the police searches marked a new low point for the disgraced ex-prince, who was stripped of his royal titles last year over his connections to Epstein.