CNN claimed the publisher of Melania Trump’s new book demanded $250,000 when the cable network asked her for an interview, but the publisher insists it was a “miscommunication” and that the former first lady wasn’t aware of the situation.
CNN said it reached out two months ago to Skyhorse Publishing, a New York-based independent book publisher, to request an interview with Trump ahead of the Oct. 8 release of her new memoir, titled “Melania.”
Skyhorse replied to CNN’s request with an email that included a document which was labeled “Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Agreement,” which laid out the terms for an interview and use of material from the book.
According to CNN, the agreement stipulated that “CNN shall pay a licensing fee of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000).”
CNN said it did not sign the agreement.
When a CNN reporter inquired about the fee with Skyhorse Publishing, the company said it was sent in error.
“Neither Melania nor anyone from her team knew anything about the NDA and the document that was sent reflected an internal miscommunication,” Tony Lyons, president and publisher of Skyhorse, told CNN in a statement.
“Had CNN signed an NDA, in the normal course of business, we would have approached Melania’s team to discuss [specifics of the interview],” Lyons said.
The Post has sought comment from Skyhorse, Trump and CNN.
It is generally considered unethical for news organizations to pay for an interview.
The 54-year-old Trump, whose husband, former President Donald Trump, is running in the Nov. 5 election, used her memoir to reveal that she is opposed to restrictions on abortion — putting her at odds with a large chunk of her spouse’s voting bloc.
“Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body? A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes,” Melania Trump wrote in the book, an excerpt of which was published by the Guardian.
The former first lady also wrote that she partially disagreed with her husband’s stance on immigration, though she declined to go into depth on areas of friction.
“Occasional political disagreements between me and my husband … [are] part of our relationship, but I believed in addressing them privately rather than publicly challenging him,” she wrote.
