The mysterious Melania Trump has captured the public’s interest for decades, ever since her love story with Donald Trump began. The Slovenian model has many talents beyond her stunning sense of style. Not only has she been featured on the cover of fashion magazines for many years, but the working mother has also been a successful entrepreneur and an ambassador for multiple non-profit organizations.
She’s faced criticism and been scrutinized as any celeb in the spotlight has. She’s also faced the immense pressure of being a First Lady. As an immigrant, Melania achieved what many might see as the American dream. Still, she faced backlash for her actions (and, of course, her husband’s) during the family’s time in office.
Some might regard her as cold and reserved, which puts her in a different category from the warm and charismatic first ladies of the past. After growing up in a communist country and living a life very different from her experiences in the US, Melania has overcome many hardships. With a potential second term on the horizon with the 2024 election, all eyes will surely be on Melania again. Read on to uncover the untold secrets of this enigmatic woman.
She was raised in Slovenia
This female entrepreneur grew up in Slovenia, which it was run by the communist party and known as Yugoslavia. Her childhood was humble, with working-class parents. Her dad was a car dealer, and her mom worked in the textile industry. Despite her lavish lifestyle today, she once lived in apartment housing near smoking factory chimneys. She dropped out of school and entered the US on a tourist visa before getting a working visa and changing her name from Knavs to Knauss.
She worked as an international model
Melania Trump experienced her first taste of success as a model at the young age of 16, inspired by her mother, who was a fashion designer. After being discovered by Stane Jerko and doing a test shoot, her photos were sent out, and she worked in cities like Milan and Paris, eventually gracing covers like Harper’s Bazaar in Bulgaria, Vanity Fair in Italy, and British GQ for a notoriously nude shoot.
She met her husband at NY Fashion Week
Melania and Donald first connected when Donald was on a date with another woman. She didn’t give him her number but called him a few days later and told Harper’s Bazaar she was struck by his energy and “sense of vitality.” Although Donald came with the baggage of four kids and a not-yet-finalized divorce, they finalized their relationship in 2004 with a proposal at the Met Gala.
Her wedding was extremely opulent
Melania and Donald’s $2.5 million wedding was as lavish as you can imagine—they married at Episcopalian Church, Bethesda-by-the-Sea. With 450 guests, including A-listers like Anna Wintour and Elton John, even Bill and Hillary Clinton attended, which is ironic given Hillary ran against Donald Trump in 2016. Opera star Camellia Johnson performed, and Melania wore a Christian Dior dress of more than 300 feet of white satin that cost $100,000 and had more than 500 hours of embroidery work.
She’s a businesswoman
Melania Trump launched her caviar-infused skincare company in 2013. Melania Caviar Complexe C6 flourished for a few years before the controversy arose Melania had claimed to have an architecture degree from Slovenia, but this was a lie. She also started a jewelry line called “Melania Timepieces & Fashion Jewelry.”
She was the second First Lady born in a foreign country
When Melania ascended to the White House and FLOTUS, she had the unique experience of being the second first lady to be foreign-born, as her birthplace was Slovenia. This was the first time since London-born Louisa Adams, the wife of John Quincy Adams, occupied the White House. Melania is the only first lady to become a naturalized United States citizen.
The first Catholic FLOTUS since Jackie Kennedy
Seeing as 71% of Slovenians practice Catholicism, it’s no surprise that Melania is a practicing Catholic. She practiced it on her first trip abroad as first lady when she visited the Vatican in 2017 and brought rosary beads to be blessed by Pope Francis.
She began a campaign against cyberbullying
As most first ladies do, Melania adopted a specific cause when her husband was in office. Her initiative, “Be Best” was intended to improve the mental health of children everywhere and focus on safe online behavior. In 2020, she spoke at the National Parent Teacher Association in Virginia. She spoke about teaching children how to interact positively online while preparing for negativity in the digital age.
She wasn’t always her husband’s biggest fan
Although she’s stuck by his side throughout the ups and downs, she hasn’t always supported the former POTUS’s decisions and policies. She told a reporter that she doesn’t always agree with what he tweets and claims to give him her honest advice and opinion. Melania said that while he sometimes doesn’t listen to her, she finds it necessary to express her thoughts and opinions regardless. In 2018, leaked audio recordings revealed that she opposed her husband’s immigration policies.
She sued a newspaper that called her an escort
When Suzy magazine put out an article about Melania in 2016, they claimed that she worked for a fashion agency that ran an upscale escort service. As a result, many other magazines published the same news. Melania ended up suing for libel and eventually settled out of court. She also sued the Daily Mail and their website Mail Online for the same claims and was awarded damages by them, too.
