Paolo Zampolli, the longtime Trump associate who says he introduced Melania Trump to Donald Trump in 1998, is publicly rejecting renewed efforts to tie that meeting to Jeffrey Epstein as a separate dispute involving one of his former partners spills into public view. Zampolli told multiple outlets he — not Epstein — made the introduction at a New York Fashion Week event, echoing Melania Trump’s own recent White House statement denying any personal relationship with Epstein.
The issue resurfaced after Melania Trump used a rare public appearance on April 9 to denounce what she called “lies” linking her to Epstein and to say she met Epstein only later, after she had already met Donald Trump. In that statement, she said speculation about a deeper connection was false and defamatory.
Zampolli has now gone further, offering to testify before Congress. In recent interviews, he said he distinctly remembers introducing the future president and future first lady himself and described the suggestion that Epstein played that role as “nonsense.” He also sought to minimize his own connection to Epstein, saying any relationship was limited to business and social overlap connected to the modeling world and Victoria’s Secret-era circles.
That defense comes as scrutiny intensifies around Zampolli’s broader orbit. Newly renewed attention has focused on old overlaps between figures in New York fashion, finance and nightlife, as well as on Zampolli’s current standing inside Trump’s political network. Zampolli now serves as the administration’s special envoy for global partnerships, a role confirmed in official and diplomatic reporting.
The controversy has been amplified by online posts attributed to Amanda Ungaro, a Brazilian former model and Zampolli’s ex-partner, who has suggested she may reveal damaging information. Major outlets have reported that Ungaro and Zampolli are locked in a bitter personal and custody conflict, but key allegations circulating online remain contested or unverified. That includes the authenticity and meaning of some of the social media posts now driving headlines.
The result is a familiar Trump-era collision of politics, celebrity and scandal: a renewed Epstein backlash, a public denial from the first lady, and a Trump ally insisting he can settle at least one part of the story. What Zampolli has established is his willingness to defend that account aggressively. What remains unresolved is whether the wider swirl of accusations and insinuations will produce verifiable new evidence — or simply more noise.
