24 Issues We Forgot About Melania Trump
Melania Trump is the wife of one of the most controversial men in the world, Donald Trump. While she’s a noteworthy name in the world of politics, fashion, and entrepreneurship, she keeps to herself and prefers to keep her private life private.
What we know about Melania is often overshadowed by her husband’s polarizing statements, but there’s more to the former first lady than meets the eye. You may have forgotten these lesser-known facts about Melania Trump.
1. Melania Met Donald at a Fashion Week Party
Melania and Donald’s love story began at a New York Fashion Week Party in November 1998, hosted by the founder of the ID Models Management Agency, Paolo Zampolli. At the time, Melania was just 28 years old, and Donald was 52.
The couple is no stranger to controversy surrounding their 24-year age gap, but that didn’t stop the two from connecting shortly after. When they first met, Donald was a father of four and had just recently separated from his second wife, Marla Maples. Prior to that, he was married to the infamous Ivana Trump.
2. She Was Discovered as a Model by a Photographer
When Melania was 16 years old, she caught the eye of Slovenian photographer Stane Jerko while waiting for her friend who was walking in a fashion show. The photographer shared how, in January 1987, he was struck by Melania and described her as “a tall, slender and attractive long-haired girl with distinct eyes.”
After meeting Melania, Jerko invited her to his studio for a trial shoot and described the photoshoot as having good potential. For her second shoot with Jerko, Melania modeled Slovenian clothing, and the photos from that shoot became the basis of her portfolio. It was that portfolio that kickstarted her career in modeling.
3. Melania and Donald Had a Lavish Wedding
After dating for a few years, the pair were engaged in 2004 and had an extravagant wedding in January 2005. Their ceremony took place at the stunning Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, and many guests were offered accommodation at Trump’s lavish Mar-a-Lago mansion. Guests were pampered with personalized bathrobes, spa treatments, and rounds of golf.
The luxurious ceremony hosted a variety of A-list celebrities, including Heidi Klum, Arnold Schwarzenegger, P. Diddy, Barbara Walters, and Billy Joel. The reception took place in Trump’s grand mansion, which was inspired by the historic Palace of Versailles, and was decorated with 10,000 flowers that were specially shipped to the grounds.
4. Her Wedding Dress Cost an Estimated $200,000
Along with a posh ceremony, Melania made sure her impeccable style didn’t go unnoticed. Melania celebrated the union in a custom-designed Dior dress, which took over 1,000 hours to make and cost a rumored $200,000.
The elegant gown weighed a hefty 60 lbs. and was adorned with 1,500 crystal rhinestones and pearls. According to The New York Times, it was made of 90 meters of satin and featured a skirt so wide that Melania had to sit on a bench during the reception. The iconic dress was featured on the cover of Vogue’s February 2005 issue.
5. She Doesn’t Use a Nanny
You might be surprised to find that although she’s busy working in the fashion industry and on her entrepreneurship journey, and Donald Trump is occupied with his business ventures, Melania has put her career aside to be there for her son, Barron.
In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she shared, “I do it myself. You know, those hours with your child are really important ones, even if it’s just the two of you, being quiet in the car together.” Melania also opened up about the topic to People, where she revealed that she believes having a nanny keeps you from getting to know your children and that she prides herself on being a hands-on mom.
6. Melania Can Speak Six Languages
Not only is she fashion-savvy, but Melania can also speak six languages: Slovenian, German, French, Italian, and English, and is quite fluent in French and Italian. There have been some critics who question whether Melania truly knows how to speak fluently in other languages apart from English and Slovenian, as her White House biography has no mention of her being able to speak multiple languages.
Despite the claims of critics, Melania shares she has raised her son to speak Slovenian, but Donald only speaks English — which Melania completely accepts. Melania claims that she’s not the type of wife to force her husband to learn a new language or do something simply because she’s doing it, and she takes pride in not being a “nagging wife.”
7. She Was Born in Slovenia
Melania was born in the small town of Novo Mesto in Slovenia, formerly known as Yugoslavia. Novo Mesto is located in Southwestern Slovenia and is close to the border of Croatia. With just over 23,000 people living in Novo Mesto, it’s a small town when compared to bustling cities in the United States like New York or Chicago, but it is the seventh-largest town in Slovenia.
Growing up in Novo Mesto, Melania enjoyed participating in gymnastics after school and even heading off on winter vacations to ski in Austria and Italy in the winters. After getting serious about her modeling career, she took the next step and moved to New York City in 1996.
8. She’s Only the Second First Lady Born Outside of the United States
Most of the first ladies were born in the United States, and Melania is only the second to be born outside of the U.S. The other foreign first lady born outside of America was Louisa Catherine Johnson, the wife of the sixth President John Quincy Adams, who was born in England.
After marrying John Quincy Adams, Louisa Johnson didn’t move to the United States until four years after the marriage. Melania, on the other hand, married Trump in the United States years before he ran for office.
9. Her Secret Service Code Name is “Muse”
The U.S. Secret Service famously uses code names for presidents and first ladies. They were first established for security purposes, as during the 1990s, electronic messages weren’t encrypted and required an extra level of security.
Today, the code names are used to continue the tradition, one which has been in place for over 75 years. Melania’s Secret Service code name is “Muse,” her husband’s is “Mogul,” Ivanka Trump’s is “Marvel,” and Donald Trump Junior’s is “Mountaineer.”
10. She’s Not Shy
Despite Melania often looking quiet and stoic by her husband’s side, she insists she’s anything but shy. While speaking to Harper’s Bazaar, Melania says she’s not shy, despite what the press says. Her decision to stay quiet behind the scenes is often mistaken for timidness, but in reality, she does so to support her husband.
During the interview, Melania revealed that in many press interviews, people who don’t know her well or personally will speak out about her, spreading false facts about her. She’s not afraid to speak out about what she wants but asserts that she’s selective, not shy.
11. Melania Moved to the United States for Her Modeling Career
Melania started her modeling career at 16 and has always been passionate about the fashion industry. Growing up, Melania worked as a fashion model for agencies in fashion hot spots, including Milan and Paris, until she made the big move to New York City to further her career.
She moved to the United States to launch her career as a model, which she praises herself for doing well. The former first lady claims she’s always loved fashion, just like her mother, and that the passion has always been in her blood.
12. She Studied Architecture and Design in University
Before moving to the United States to pursue her career in modeling, she studied architecture and design at Slovenia’s University of Ljubljana. While studying, Melania continued to model regularly and even worked in fashion houses in Milan.
Despite her personal website stating she completed her college degree in Slovenia, Donald Trump’s government website, which included her bio, stated that Melania paused her studies to prioritize her career. The website did not state whether or not she completed her degree in the end.
13. Melania Refused To Give Donald Trump Her Number
When Melania and Donald first met in 1998 at a Fashion Week party, she refused to give him her number. Donald was captivated by Melania’s stunning looks, but he arrived at the party with another date and waited for his date to go to the bathroom before he slyly went up to speak with Melania.
Melania didn’t feel comfortable giving her number while Donald was on another date, so she told him she would take his number and decide when to call him instead. A few days later, after taking his number, she called Donald, and their romance developed from there.
14. Melania Doesn’t Always Agree With Donald
It’s no secret that Donald Trump has some polarizing political views and ideas. Melania is not afraid to give him her opinion and admits that while he doesn’t always listen to her, she accepts their sometimes opposing views.
In an interview with Dujour, Melania shared that her husband needs someone who is smart and who will tell him the truth, even when he disagrees. The former first lady was adamant about her involvement in the campaign behind the scenes and at home, which the public hasn’t been able to see.
15. Melania and Donald Spend the Majority of Their Time Apart
The couple lead two very independent lives, which is one of the main reasons they spend most of their time apart. Melania and Donald are very private about their personal lives and typically only share what they feel comfortable about with the public and in interviews.
With their packed schedules, spending little time together is normal. One of the former president’s longtime friends told The Washington Post that the couple spent nearly no time together and that during his presidency, Melania would rarely visit the West Wing of the White House.
16. She Was the First Catholic In the Whitehouse Since the Kennedys
Faith is vital to Melania Trump, who is the second Catholic first lady in the White House since Jackie Kennedy. In 2017, the Pope blessed Melania Trump’s rosary beads at the Vatican, an extraordinary moment for any Catholic. While it was a quick exchange, it’s a rare moment that few practicing Catholics are lucky enough to experience.
Melania was raised in Slovenia, where the majority of the population identifies as Christian. Donald Trump is a Presbyterian, and the two have raised their son in line with their beliefs, baptizing him at the same church where the couple was married.
17. Melania Is Quite Tall
Melania is on the tall side, with a height of 5 foot 11 inches. As a model, her height worked as an asset that propelled her career. Growing up, she shared that she was always the skinniest and tallest one, which she says helped her in her modeling.
According to Business Insider, Melania Trump, Michelle Obama, and Eleanor Roosevelt are the tallest first ladies to be in the White House. While Melania is known to be tall, her husband, Donald, is slightly taller, measuring 6 foot two inches, reaching three inches taller than Melania.
18. She’s Done Jewelry Collections for QVC
Not only is Melania immersed in the fashion industry, but she’s also dabbled in curating jewelry. Melania has done timepiece and jewelry collections for QVC, an American television network and shopping channel. On Melania’s former bio page on the White House website, she was mentioned as being a successful entrepreneur who launched her own jewelry collection in 2010.
In an interview with Hollywood Life, the former first lady shared that she’s always been passionate about designing affordable jewelry for women across the country that they could have fun with. She designed three collections based on cities she drew inspiration from: New York, Palm Beach, and Paris.
19. Melania Has a Quick Cameo in Zoolander
Did you know Melania quickly appears in Ben Stiller’s Zoolander? Melania and Donald appear in the movie while interviewed on the red carpet for the VH1 Fashion Awards. In the scene, as he’s being interviewed on the red carpet, Donald says, “Look, without Derek Zoolander, male modeling wouldn’t be what it is today,” while Melania stands beside him.
Years later, while speaking on The New Abnormal Podcast, Ben Stiller revealed that he received backlash for the scene. He shared many people reached out to him and encouraged him to cut the scene from the movie due to all of the controversy that surrounded Trump while he was president, which Stiller refused to do.
20. It Took Her 10 Years To Become an American Citizen
The process of becoming an American citizen is not an easy one, and Melania knows firsthand how difficult it can be. After arriving in the United States in 1996 from Slovenia on a work visa, it took 10 years for her to become an American citizen.
During a public appearance at the National Archives in Washington, Melania spoke candidly about her journey to becoming a citizen. She shared that the process was arduous and that she was constantly in the midst of organizing paperwork. In 2006, just a year after she and Donald married, she officially became a citizen.
21. Her Favorite Television Show Is How To Get Away With Murder
When she’s not modeling for big-time fashion magazines or accompanying her husband to events, she’s relaxing and enjoying her favorite TV shows. You may be surprised at how relatable her choice of shows is. Melania revealed that her favorite television show is How To Get Away With Murder.
The show follows a law professor who chooses five students to intern at her firm and how their involvement unfolds to intertwine with a shocking murder.
The former first lady also revealed that she enjoys watching Empire in her downtime, which follows a family dynasty featuring the head of a music empire whose sons and ex-wife are all battling to take his throne.
22. Melania Accepts Donald for Who He Is
Melania rarely gives the public or press insight into her relationship with Donald, but she shares that she accepts him for who he is. During her interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Melania revealed that while the pair have their disagreements, she wants to lead her life and does not want to change him, and he feels the same toward her.
She shares that she’s not afraid to tell her husband how it is and that she doesn’t simply bow down to him and do things for him when he asks. Melania holds Trump accountable for his decisions and actions but also understands that, in the end, it’s his choice whether to listen to her advice or not.
23. She Has Posed in Numerous Fashion Magazines
Melania is no stranger to the flashing lights and cameras. Before getting massive media attention during her husband’s time in politics, she was already used to being in front of photographers and the media. Melania has had a successful career in the fashion industry as a model from a young age.
She’s been featured in numerous notable fashion magazines, including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Sports Illustrated. Although she was previously featured in various noteworthy magazines, Donald criticized U.S. magazines for not featuring his wife on any front page covers during his time in office.
24. She Stays Out of Politics Publically
Her husband isn’t afraid to publicly voice his various political opinions, no matter how polarizing or controversial they may be, but Melania prefers to let him do the talking. Although she’s no stranger to first lady scandals, Melania told Harper’s Bazaar she chooses to leave the political statements to her husband.
Although she may not publicly speak about her views, she openly voices her political opinions privately and behind closed doors, so much so that she has been criticized for not being involved at all in the campaign.
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