Trump to sue Trevor Noah after controversial Epstein joke at Grammys
Racy dresses, surprise award moments, protests against ICE — and a savage Epstein joke that reportedly sent Donald Trump into a fury.
The 2026 Grammy Awards delivered a night packed with controversy, humor, and headline-making moments that quickly spilled far beyond the stage.
From Chappell Roan turning heads in a bold outfit that had social media buzzing, to Cher shocking the audience by announcing a winner who has been dead for more than 20 years, the ceremony was anything but predictable.
Adding to the intensity, the show coincided with the release of a new batch of Jeffrey Epstein-related files. Grammys host Trevor Noah, 41, seized the moment during his monologue.
Referencing the documents, Noah joked:
“Song of the Year — that’s a Grammy every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epstein’s island is gone, so he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton.”
While being named in the files does not imply wrongdoing, Donald Trump appears numerous times in the documents and was previously associated with Jeffrey Epstein. Trump and others have repeatedly denied ever visiting Epstein’s private island, where young girls were abused.
In response to the document release, both the White House and the U.S. Justice Department emphasized that some claims in the files are unverified.
“Some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist allegations against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI shortly before the 2020 election,” the Justice Department said in a statement.
Trump addressed the issue while speaking aboard Air Force One, accusing writer Michael Wolff of conspiring with Epstein to damage him politically. He said he was told by advisers that the files ultimately cleared him and suggested potential legal action against Wolff and the Epstein estate.
The backlash intensified after the Grammys aired. Trump took to Truth Social, calling the awards “virtually unwatchable” and singling out Noah’s remarks as “false and defamatory.” He denied ever visiting Epstein’s island and warned that legal action against the host could be forthcoming.
“Noah better get his facts straight,” Trump wrote, adding that he planned to involve his lawyers and promising that he would “have some fun” pursuing the matter.
