By Ayo Kehinde
A Florida federal judge dismissed Donald Trump’s $10bn defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Monday, April 13, 2026, over a story about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump sued the newspaper and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, after a July 2025 report claimed his name appeared in Epstein’s “birthday book” from 2003, along with a note allegedly written by Trump that included a drawing of a naked woman.
The note, which read, “May every day be another wonderful secret”, was said to be part of a collection of gifts for Epstein’s 50th birthday. The letter was also said to have featured the signature “Donald”.
Trump immediately denied writing the note, calling it “fake” and accusing the WSJ of publishing false information.
U.S. District Judge, Darrin Gayles, ruled that Trump had not shown the WSJ acted with “actual malice” and dismissed the case without prejudice, meaning Trump can refile the lawsuit with changes by April 27, 2026.
The judge noted that Trump had not proven the article was false or that the newspaper acted recklessly.
Trump’s lawyer said the president would refile the lawsuit, calling it a “historic legal action” against “Fake News Media”.
The report focused on the letter, which was part of a set of gifts Epstein received.
While the WSJ didn’t publish the image of the letter, it was later released by Democratic lawmakers, and the details matched public records.
