Author Michael Wolff claims in a lawsuit that US First Lady Melania Trump threatened to sue him if he didn't retract Jeffrey Epstein-related statements he recently made about her.

Wolff said Melania Trump's threat was for more than $US1 billion ($A1.5 billion) in damages

Wolff sought unspecified damages in the lawsuit filed on Tuesday in state Supreme Court in Manhattan.

Nicholas Clemens, a spokesman for Melania Trump, issued a statement, saying: "First Lady Melania Trump is proud to continue standing up to those who spread malicious and defamatory falsehoods as they desperately try to get undeserved attention and money from their unlawful conduct."

In his lawsuit, Wolff said Melania Trump and her husband, President Donald Trump, "have made a practice of threatening those who speak aga

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