Melania Trump, originally named Melanija Knavs (Germanized as Melania Knauss), came to the world on April 26, 1970, in Novo Mesto, SR Slovenia. Her mother, Amalija, worked as a patternmaker for a children’s clothing manufacturer, while her father, Viktor, achieved car and motorcycle dealerships, shaping her early life.
Growing Up in Style
Melania’s connection to the fashion world started early. She regularly contributed to fashion shows for her mother’s employer, Jutranjka. Her childhood was spent in Sevnica alongside her sister Ines, with whom she shared many escapades. Excitingly, Melania Trump also has a half-brother she has never had the chance to meet. In spite of Viktor’s association with the League of Communists of Slovenia, which promoted state atheism, Melania and Ines were blessed as Catholics.
In her search for education, Melania initially joined Ljubljana’s Secondary School of Design and Photography. Far along, she enrolled at the University of Ljubljana to study design and architecture but decided to drop out after a year.
Personal Life and Citizenship Journey
The turning point in Melania’s life came when she crossed paths with Donald Trump at a party in 1998. They exchanged vows on January 22, 2005, in an extravagant ceremony where Melania stunned in a breathtaking $200,000 Christian Dior gown.
Their love story bloomed as they welcomed their son, Barron, into the world on March 20, 2006. Barron was christened at the Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, where Melania and Donald’s wedding occurred.
Melania’s journey to becoming an American citizen was also remarkable, as she got permanent U.S. residency in 2001 and became an official American citizen in 2006. In 2018, she faced a health challenge when she underwent an embolization at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to address a benign kidney condition.
Legal Battles and Triumphs
The path to success has its share of challenges for Melania Trump. In February 2017, she filed a $150 million lawsuit against the British tabloid “Daily Mail,” which had published an article reproving her of working as an escort during her modeling career.
Melania Trump declared that the article had caused her to miss out on “multimillion-dollar business relationships.” Ultimately, the lawsuit was settled for $2.9 million after “Daily Mail” withdrawn its statements, focusing on the expressive distress caused to Melania.
A Career in the Spotlight
Melania’s journey into modeling started at the tender age of 5. By the time she turned 16, she was already posing for the famous fashion photographer Stane Jerko and appearing in commercials. Her career took a noteworthy leap when, at the age of 18, she signed with an admired Milan modeling agency.
In 1992, Melania Trump became runner-up in “Jana Magazine’s” “Look of the Year” competition. The turning point came in 1995 when she met Paolo Zampolli, co-owner of Metropolitan Models, who offered her depiction in the United States. Melania moved to Manhattan the following year and shared an apartment at Zeckendorf Towers with photographer Matthew Atanian, an arrangement eased by Zampolli.
In January 2000, Melania Trump gathered attention as she graced the “GQ” magazine cover, wearing nothing but beautiful diamond jewelry. However, that same year, her privacy was despoiled when explicit photos of her were featured in the French men’s magazine “Max.”
In 2010, Melania Trump entered the fashion world and launched her jewelry collection, “Melania Timepieces & Jewelry,” in collaboration with QVC. She also introduced the “Melania Skin Care Collection.” But in 2017, the companies associated with these products decided to cut ties with her. Her financial filing in 2016 indicated that her business ventures had generated royalties ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 that year.
First Lady of the United States
Melania Trump, known by the Secret Service as “Muse,” expected the role of the first lady of the United States on January 20, 2017. Excitingly, she did not immediately move into the White House, delaying her move until June 11 to accommodate her son’s schooling at Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School.
Melania’s tenure as the first lady was marked by a staff of 11, and she became only the second first lady in history to be born outside of the United States, with London-born Louisa Adams being the first.
Melania’s opening event was a March 2017 International Women’s Day luncheon, where she fervently debated gender equivalence and shared her unique experiences as a female migrant. During her time as the first lady, Melania took up the cause of opposing online bullying with her “Be Best” campaign. Given her husband’s argumentative online presence, this move gathered support and criticism.
Melania’s participation extended to planning a state dinner in April 2018 to honor French President Emmanuel Macron and visiting the National Gallery of Art with the French First Lady, Brigitte Macron, on the day before the event.
Melania Trump embarked on a solo tour of four African countries in October of that year, engaging in several philanthropic activities, counting bottle-feeding baby elephants and visiting schools and orphanages. Her tenure was not without controversy, as the Trump administration’s policies led to the departure of immigrant children from their parents.
Melania Trump addressed this issue in June 2018, advocating for “successful migration reform” while stating her condemnation of family separations under the administration’s “Zero Tolerance” policy. Her visit to the Up Bring New Hope Children’s Shelter in McAllen, Texas, on June 17, 2018, aimed at fostering the reunion of immigrant children with their families.
Melania Trump’s Net Worth
Melania Trump, the Slovenian-born model and former first lady of the United States, boasts a net worth of $50 million. She is most well-known for her role as the third wife of Donald Trump, with whom she entered into marriage in 2005.
Melania’s presence in the entertainment world is famous as well. She made a cameo appearance as herself in the 2001 film “Zoolander” and made periodic appearances on her husband’s NBC realism series, “The Apprentice,” from 2004 to 2015. Her modeling career covered Paris and Milan before she moved to the United States in 1996 to pursue modeling opportunities in New York City.
During her career, Melania Trump graced the covers of some admired magazines, including “Vogue,” “Harper’s Bazaar,” “InStyle,” “Vanity Fair,” and “Glamour.” In 2016, Melania faced criticism when a speech she delivered at the Republican National Convention appeared to have borrowed portions from Michelle Obama’s 2008 Democratic Convention speech.
