A shocking claim has been making the rounds online, alleging that former First Lady Melania Trump has filed—and won—an $800 million defamation lawsuit against the daytime talk show The View and its outspoken co-host Sunny Hostin. The rumor suggests that the lawsuit stemmed from alleged defamatory statements made about Melania on the show, leaving her no choice but to take legal action.
The rumor about Melania Trump suing The View began circulating on social media platforms like Threads, Facebook, and YouTube in early February 2025. A viral post claimed:
“Melania Trump wins $800 million defamation lawsuit against The View and Sunny Hostin after being accused of secretly hating Donald Trump.”
The post gained thousands of shares, fueling speculation that Melania had finally fought back against one of the most politically outspoken shows on television.
Adding fuel to the fire, multiple clickbait YouTube videos and blogs began spreading false narratives, alleging that Hostin made comments about Melania’s private life—including claims that she secretly despised her husband, former President Donald Trump, and was only staying with him for financial and legal reasons.
But as intriguing as this claim sounds, there’s one major problem—there is no evidence that such a lawsuit was ever filed.
Leading fact-checking organizations like PolitiFact and Yahoo News have completely debunked the claim, stating that there is no record of any lawsuit between Melania Trump and The View—let alone one involving an $800 million payout.
PolitiFact, after conducting a thorough investigation, concluded:
“There is no evidence to support the claim that Melania Trump sued The View or Sunny Hostin for defamation. This false narrative appears to have originated from misleading social media posts and AI-generated videos.”
In addition, Yahoo News also confirmed that no major U.S. news outlet—including those covering legal affairs—has reported on any such lawsuit being filed by Melania Trump.
“The viral claim is completely baseless and has no legal backing,” a legal analyst told Yahoo News. “If such a lawsuit had been filed, it would have been covered extensively by mainstream media.”
Despite these clear debunkings, the misinformation continues to spread, with conspiracy theorists and Trump supporters latching onto the false narrative as a symbol of Melania finally standing up against mainstream media attacks.
Has Melania Trump Ever Filed a Defamation Lawsuit Before?
While this particular lawsuit is fabricated, Melania Trump does have a history of suing media outlets for defamation—and winning.
In 2017, she filed a lawsuit against the Daily Mail, claiming that the British publication had falsely reported that she had worked as an escort in the past. The lawsuit was settled out of court for approximately $2.9 million, with the Daily Mail issuing a formal apology to the former First Lady.
At the time, Melania’s lawyers stated that the false allegations had damaged her reputation and business opportunities as she transitioned into her role as First Lady of the United States.
Given her past legal battles, some have wrongly assumed that she would once again sue for defamation—this time against The View. However, no such lawsuit exists.
