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- Melania Trump blasted a former aide as a "deceitful and troubled individual" ahead of tell-all memoir.
- Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham's book comes out October 5.
- Grisham told ABC she "expected" the attacks but has "receipts" to prove she's telling the truth.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Former First Lady Melania Trump criticized her former chief of staff and communications director Stephanie Grisham as a "deceitful and troubled individual" trying to "rehabilitate" her reputation ahead of the release of Grisham's tell-all book.
In the memoir, "I'll Take Your Questions Now," due for release on October 5, Grisham characterizes a toxic and dysfunctional environment in the White House and reveals new, unflattering anecdotes about former President Donald Trump and the notoriously private former first lady.
"The author is desperately trying to rehabilitate her tarnished reputation by manipulating and distorting the truth about Mrs. Trump," Melania's office said in a Monday statement. "Ms. Grisham is a deceitful and troubled individual who doesn't deserve anyone's trust."
Grisham responded to the statement in a Monday morning interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."
"I expected that. I expect more. This is right out of their playbook: when they don't like the message, they're going to destroy the messenger. I know, I was part of doing that sometimes," Grisham told ABC's George Stephanopoulos.
"I notice she's not denying anything fully in the book just yet, I think she knows that I have a lot of receipts to show I'm being fully honest. I expected that, and I'm sure there will be more to come, probably a lawsuit or two or three or four," Grisham added.
Trump has previously used nondisclosure agreements and threats of litigation to silence critics. The former president just recently lost a years-long legal fight to enforce a nondisclosure agreement against former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman, who published a tell-all book of her own "Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House," in 2018.
In addition to turning on both of her former bosses and revealing details about their marriage and relationship, Grisham also criticizes Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who served as White House advisors.
Both Trump and Melania have come out swinging against Grisham in public statements denouncing her as a disgruntled ex-employee looking to cash in on her White House experience and discrediting the book.
"The intent behind this book is obvious," Melania's office previously stated, adding of Grisham: "It is an attempt to redeem herself after a poor performance as press secretary, failed personal relationships, and unprofessional behavior in the White House. Through mistruth and betrayal, she seeks to gain relevance and money at the expense of Mrs. Trump."