US First Lady Melania Trump made a surprise statement on Thursday denying any knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse, or that she herself was a victim of the convicted sex offender.
The 55-year-old's rare on-camera remarks at the White House came out of the blue, in an extraordinary intervention in a scandal that has long haunted her husband President Donald Trump.
"The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today," she said. "The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect."
It was not clear why the Slovenian-born former model decided to give the public statement, and she did not detail any specific allegations about her and the late, convicted sex offender.
Melania and Donald Trump had previously been photographed with Epstein, but she said that she had met her husband independently two years prior to meeting Epstein.
"I am not Epstein's victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump," Melania Trump said.
She said "fake images and statements about Epstein and me" had been circulating on social media "for years now. Be cautious about what you believe: these images and stories are completely false."
The first lady also urged Congress to hold a public hearing for survivors of Epstein's abuse to "give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath."
But some Epstein survivors and their families, including the brother of Epstein's main accuser Virginia Giuffre, called the speech a "deflection of responsibility."
"First Lady Melania Trump is now shifting the burden onto survivors under political conditions that protect those with power" including "the Trump Administration, which has still not fully complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act," according to a joint statement posted on social media.
Two of Epstein's accusers, sisters Maria and Annie Farmer told US media in a separate statement: "We can't speak for other survivors, but what we want is accountability, transparency and justice."
The sisters called for the release of "the remaining records held by the Department of Justice -- including my complete FBI records from 1996."
Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving minors, but the scandal has repeatedly overshadowed Trump's second presidency.
- 'Epstein's abuse' -
The US Justice Department has over the past year released huge tranches of files related to Epstein. Trump, 79, has also denied any link to Epstein's crimes.
One widely-seen picture in the files showed Donald and Melania Trump at their Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida along with Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
"I have never had any knowledge of Epstein's abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity. I was not a participant. Was never on Epstein's plane, and never visited his private island," Melania Trump said.
"I have never been legally accused or convicted of a crime in connection with Epstein sex trafficking, abuse of minors and other repulsive behavior."
Democrat Suhas Subramanyam, who sits on the congressional committee probing Epstein, called on Melania Trump to "testify under oath."
Speculation ran riot on social media about why the US first lady had decided to put the Epstein scandal back in the headlines after weeks of relative quiet.
It comes just two days after her husband announced a ceasefire in the US-Israeli war on Iran, which critics say has left the crucial Strait of Hormuz still largely shuttered by Tehran.
Melania Trump has long been an elusive and often mysterious presence at the White House, who only rarely gives public remarks of the kind she delivered on Thursday.
Donald Trump told MS Now that he didn't "know anything about" the statement ahead of time.
The last time the first lady was seen with her husband was at an Easter Egg Roll with hundreds of children on Monday.
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