The developing story concerning Brazilian model Amanda Ungaro, special envoy Paolo Zampolli, and their ties to Melania Tr*mp and Epstein is heating up by the minute.
In April, Ungaro went scorched Earth on her ex-pal Melania, promising to spill everything she knows about the First Lady’s Epstein connections. That bombshell prompted a deeply weird pre-emptive press conference by Melania herself, where she combatted claims that Epstein introduced her and her husband in the late 1990s.
Months later, it seems that Melania is still coming for those attempting to tie her to Epstein in any way. Ungaro spoke to the news channel Narativ with Zev Shalev last week, and apparently Melania did not like what she heard in the interview. Now, she’s demanding a retraction from Ungaro and Shalev… or else!
The source of the dispute? How Melania met Tr*mp, of course. The official story is that Paolo Zampolli, Ungaro’s ex-husband who used ICE to get her deported last year, introduced the two at a party in 1998. Zampolli was also the one to secure an H-1B “genius” visa that allowed Melania to work and live in the US for three years with the potential for renewal.
Politics, but make it gay!
Stay woke with our briefing while staying informed on all things LGBTQ+ entertainment, life, and more!
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
But Ungaro says that the story about Zampolli introducing the Tr*mps is not altogether true. According to her, it’s a tale cooked up by the three of them to shield the Tr*mps from further questions about Epstein.
Ungaro also discussed with Shalev the theory that Melania herself pressured her husband to give Zampolli his current position as United States Special Representative for Global Partnerships.
“Melania tried to get [Zampolli] to be an ambassador … and she went on to insist that he become a special envoy,” Shalev noted on the show. “He brought her to the United States, he’s in constant contact with her, she’s rewarded him with this special envoy title.”
Now, Melania is threatening a defamation lawsuit if Ungaro doesn’t retract her claim. But it’s not so simple. As we discussed last week re: Tr*mp’s FAFO BBC lawsuit, when you initiate legal proceedings, you open yourself up to discovery. If Melania were to officially sue, she could face further inquiries about the Epstein relationship she claims doesn’t exist—despite ample photographic evidence.
She’s also in the midst of suing Tr*mp biographer Michael Wolff for bringing his own suit against her, so it would seem Melania’s suddenly in a litigious mood. With the way the headlines have been looking lately, it makes perfect sense.
The problem is, Ungaro has nothing to lose and shows no signs of backing down. She’s also got powerful friends in the press who are going to fight on her behalf. After COURIER got ahold of the defamation warning, they spoke to Aaron Terr, director of public advocacy for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, who noted in a statement that the letter didn’t establish why Ungaro’s claims were defamatory. Instead, they hid behind the usual vague language.
There’s definitely a huge difference between a defamation lawsuit and the threat of one. If Melania pursues legal action, she could find herself, like her husband, open to all kinds of inconvenient truths in the discovery period.
Related
A new 2028 poll is out & it’s very good news for Pete Buttigieg
A new 2028 poll is out and it’s very good news for Pete Buttigieg.
Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.
