Ohhh, this one is messy, messy, messy.
Donald Trump just took a major legal L, and it’s all tied to one very eyebrow-raising story involving Jeffrey Epstein that straight-up refuses to go away!
According to TMZ and others on Monday afternoon, a federal judge has officially tossed out Trump’s massive $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal. Well, at least for now! And the reason why is raising plenty of legal and political eyebrows.
Related: Megyn Kelly RIPS Tiger Woods For Calling Donald Trump During DUI Arrest — WATCH!
According to the ruling handed down Monday, the judge wasn’t buying what Trump was selling regarding claims of defamation over a birthday letter Trump allegedly wrote to Epstein way back when — and which the WSJ reported on recently.
The core issue, per the judge, was that Trump failed to convincingly argue that the newspaper acted with “actual malice,” which is the gold standard when it comes to proving defamation, especially for public figures. In other words, it’s not enough to say the story was damaging… or even that it was wrong! Trump needed to show the publication either knew it was false or recklessly ignored the truth. And the judge said he just didn’t get there.
Let’s rewind for a second, because the reporting at the center of this drama is… a lot. Basically, the Wall Street Journal published a story claiming Trump had written a bizarre and deeply inappropriate birthday letter to Epstein years ago for the late convicted sex offender’s 50th birthday. It was a handwritten note framed in the outline of a naked woman, complete with a strange back-and-forth dialogue and a closing line that read like something out of a secret diary, praising their friendship and hinting at “wonderful secrets.” Yeesh.
Oh, and Trump’s signature was allegedly styled in a way that mimicked pubic hair. You cannot make this stuff up… except, well, Trump insists that’s exactly what the paper did.
In his lawsuit, Trump claimed the entire thing was fabricated to destroy his reputation and paint him in a false light — hence the jaw-dropping $10 billion demand. But the judge wasn’t convinced the paper crossed that legal line, and tossed it.
But!!! Here’s the NEXT twist: this isn’t over yet. The case was dismissed without prejudice, which means Trump still has a shot to come back swinging. He’s been given until April 27 to refile an amended complaint and try again.
So, the clock is ticking. Will Trump regroup and take another shot?! Or is this the beginning of the end for this explosive legal fight?? Stay tuned, y’all…
[Image via New York Sex Offender Registry/MEGA/WENN]
