April 9 (UPI) -- First lady Melania Trump made a rare address to the nation on Thursday afternoon to deny a friendship, or relationship of any kind, with deceased sex predator Jeffrey Epstein.
The release of the Epstein files over the past several months, included several pictures of both President Donald Trump and the first lady with the disgraced financier, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on allegations of sex trafficking and sex abuse.
In her statement, Melania Trump denied a series of accusations and theories related to her, her relationship with President Trump and the possibility of others related to Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.
"The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today," the first lady said in the unannounced statement from the White House.
"I have never been friends with Epstein," she said in the brief statement. "Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach," Fla.
