A former associate of US First Lady Melania Trump has alleged that Melania met US President Donald Trump through convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a report by The Daily Beast.
The allegation was made by former Brazilian model Amanda Ungaro in a recorded message posted online, in which she disputed claims by modelling agent-turned-presidential envoy Paolo Zampolli that he introduced Melania and Donald Trump at a party in 1998.
The account that Melania Knauss met her future husband while working as one of Zampolli's models in New York has long been part of the public narrative surrounding the couple. Melania reiterated that version of events during a press conference in April, rejecting what she described as "politically motivated lies" linking her to Epstein.
However, Ungaro, who has been involved in a custody dispute with Zampolli, challenged that account in a recording later shared on X.
According to The Daily Beast, Ungaro claimed that Epstein, not Zampolli, introduced Melania to Trump.
She further alleged that Zampolli had privately acknowledged this to her over the years.
The publication reported that it sought comment from both the White House and the Office of the First Lady.
Zampolli strongly denied the allegations.
"I think it is a disgrace that she dares to say this about our marvelous first lady," he told The Daily Beast.
He also dismissed Ungaro's claims and expressed concern about her well-being.
Zampolli currently serves as a special envoy for global partnerships and sits on the Board of Trustees of the Kennedy Centre.
According to the report, Ungaro travelled on Epstein's private aircraft from Paris to New York in 2002 alongside French modelling scout Jean-Luc Brunel, who was later accused of recruiting young women for Epstein.
The report noted that Ungaro and Zampolli moved in the same social circles as Donald and Melania Trump for years and were photographed with them at events, including gatherings at Mar-a-Lago.
Ungaro has previously accused Zampolli of using political influence during an immigration-related dispute. Both Zampolli and the US Department of Homeland Security denied those allegations.
The recording, later deleted from Ungaro's X account, has renewed attention on longstanding questions surrounding Epstein's connections to prominent public figures.
Melania Trump has repeatedly denied any suggestion that Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump.
Speaking to reporters in April, she said: "I met my husband by chance at a New York City party in 1998."
She added that her first encounter with Epstein occurred in 2000 at an event she attended with Donald Trump and that she was unaware of his criminal conduct at the time.
Separately, documents released by the US Department of Justice reportedly include statements from a former Epstein assistant who told the FBI that Epstein introduced Donald and Melania Trump.
Zampolli, however, has consistently maintained that he was responsible for introducing the couple.
"I said: 'Melania meet Donald, Donald meet Melania,' and then I left the table because I had 300 guests," he told The Daily Beast in an earlier interview.
The recording was first shared by independent journalist Anthony Andrews, who said he had been asked to publish it. The post was later removed.
According to the report, Zampolli has threatened legal action over the allegations and claimed that some of Ungaro's assertions were generated using artificial intelligence, a claim Andrews denied.