(MENAFN) Publishing giant HarperCollins UK has apologized to US First Lady Melania Trump and withdrawn a book that alleged convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the publisher said it had “decided to remove several pages” from an unauthorized biography of Prince Andrew written by historian Andrew Lowine. The passages repeated unverified claims linking Epstein to the Trumps’ first meeting.

“Copies of the book that include those references are being permanently removed from distribution. HarperCollins UK apologizes to the First Lady,” the statement said. Melania Trump later reposted the message on X.

Originally released in August, the biography explored Prince Andrew’s ties to Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. NBC News previously reported that the book alleged Epstein had “facilitated” the Trumps’ introduction — a claim Melania Trump has repeatedly denied, saying she met Donald Trump at a 1998 New York party through another acquaintance.

A spokesperson for Melania Trump told Axios that her legal team was “actively ensuring immediate retractions and apologies by those who spread malicious, defamatory falsehoods.”

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump had pledged to release so-called “Epstein files” purportedly detailing the financier’s connections with influential figures. After returning to office, however, he dismissed the documents as a “Democratic hoax.”

Melania Trump has previously won retractions from outlets including The Daily Beast and a podcast hosted by Democratic strategist James Carville over similar allegations.

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