First lady Melania Trump made a rare public statement on Thursday denying that she had close ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and calling on Congress to allow victims to testify.

“I am not Epstein’s victim,” Melania Trump said. “Epstein did not introduce me to [President] Donald Trump.” It was not immediately clear why the first lady was addressing this issue publicly. But included in the Epstein files released by the Justice Department was a heavily redacted FBI interview that included the claim Epstein introduced the Trumps.

“I have never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims,” she continued. “I was never involved in any capacity.”

The first lady asked Congress “to act” and hold public hearings allowing Epstein victims to testify.

“Epstein was not alone,” Melania Trump said. “I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors. Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress.”

Melania Trump made the public statement from the White House in front of cameras Thursday afternoon and did not take any questions from reporters. The denial comes a day after the DOJ said former Attorney General Pam Bondi would not appear for a subpoena before the House Oversight Committee on April 14. The subpoena addressed her handling of the DOJ documents about Epstein.

Melania Trump’s name appears in the latest tranche of documents published at the end of January.

Donald Trump is also mentioned in the files, as the two men were friends before falling out. The president has also denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein’s alleged crimes. An NPR investigation in February found that documents naming the president were withheld from the files. Some of these files were later published.

In an apparent email to Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, Melania Trump complimented how Maxwell looked in a photo, and told her to “give me a call when you are back in NY.” She signed it, “Love, Melania.” Maxwell was convicted on sex-trafficking charges in 2021 and is serving a 20-year sentence. Melania Trump said she had a “casual” email correspondence in her statement.

“My email reply to Maxwell cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence,” Melania Trump said. “My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note.”

The first lady said the first time she met Epstein was in 2000 at an event she and Donald Trump attended. She said that “fake images and statements” about her and Epstein have been circulating on social media for years now.

“Be cautious about what you believe,” she said. “These images and stories are completely false.”

She also said she never visited Epstein’s island or flew on Epstein’s private plane.

“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said.

Melania Trump denies ties to Jeffrey Epstein and calls on Congress to hold a hearing for survivors

In a rare, unexpected public statement at the White House, the first lady said she “never had a relationship” with Epstein.

WASHINGTON — In a rare public statement, first lady Melania Trump on Thursday said she “never had a relationship” with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein or his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.

In her remarks from the White House, she said that there have been numerous “fake images and statements about Epstein and me” circulating on social media.

Her statement was brief, but it was notable. The first lady is cautious in her public remarks and with her public image. A number of her aides gathered to watch her statement in the Grand Foyer of the White House, but several of them did not know what she was going to say beforehand.

It was the first time Melania Trump had spoken about the Epstein controversy on camera but her staff has been aggressive at knocking down what they call “defamatory” Epstein rumors.

The first lady’s senior adviser Marc Beckman said in a statement that the first lady decided to speak out now because “enough is enough” and “the lies must stop.”

“It is time for the public and media to focus on her incredible achievements as First Lady, the lives she has positively impacted, and her commitment to our nation,” Beckman said.

Her remarks come after the Justice Department told the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday that former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not comply with a subpoena to provide testimony next week before the panel.

“The false smears about me from mean-spirited and politically motivated individuals and entities looking to cause damage to my good name to gain financially and climb politically must stop,” Melania Trump said.

The first lady called on Congress to provide the Epstein survivors with a public hearing.

“Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress with the power of sworn testimony. Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public, if she wishes, and then her testimony should be permanently entered into the Congressional Record,” she said. “Then and only then, we will have the truth.”

In her comments, she referenced an email reply she once sent to Maxwell and said that “it cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence.”

The first lady said she’s not an Epstein victim and that he didn’t introduce her to her husband, President Donald Trump. She said the first time she crossed paths with Epstein was in 2000 at an event she and Trump attended together. “At the time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings,” she said.

She appeared to be referencing an email released by the Justice Department from October 2002 in which she purportedly wrote “Dear G! How are you? Nice story about JE in NY mag. You look great on the picture. I know you are very busy flying all over the world. How was Palm Beach? I cannot wait to go down. Give me a call when you are back in NY. Have a great time! Love, Melania.” The email addresses for the sender and recipient are redacted in the public document.

An attorney for Maxwell did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

The GOP-led House Oversight Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The top Democrat on the panel, Rep. Robert Garcia, of California, said in a post on X after Melania Trump’s statement that Democrats agree with her call for a public hearing.

“We encourage Chairman Comer to respond to the First Lady’s request and schedule a public hearing immediately,” he wrote, referencing Rep. James Comer, R-Ky.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., a committee member outspoken about bringing accountability to Epstein survivors, thanked the first lady on X and echoed her call for a public hearing.

“Now is the time for Congress to act,” she wrote. “Epstein was not alone. Several prominent male executives resigned from their powerful positions after this matter became widely politicized. Of course, this doesn’t amount to guilt, but we still must work openly and transparently to uncover the truth.”

The first lady’s public remarks also come about six months after author Michael Wolff sued her, alleging she threatened a $1 billion lawsuit over statements he had made about her and Epstein. Melania Trump’s attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the case in January, but a federal judge has yet to rule.

In a phone call Thursday with NBC News, Wolff said he has no forthcoming book or video release that he believes would cause the first lady to speak about Epstein now, adding that he was “totally caught out of the blue” by her statement.