These Little-Known Facts About Melania Trump Are Seriously Impressive
Although President Donald Trump has made quite the name for himself over the years (thanks to his business acumen. and penchants for drama and controversy), his wife, Melania, is still a bit of a mystery. Of course we know the basics: She's a former model from Slovenia and a chic fashionista with an adorable 12-year-old son, Barron. But, if you ask me, it seems like there's a lot left to unearth when it comes to the first lady. That's why I did some digging around and found five things you didn't know about Melania Trump. Let's get into it!
Since Donald took office, Trump has often been swept up in his various controversies, which often overshadows what she's actually done as a political figure or who she is personally. She has one major office initiative, which is her plan to put an end to cyberbullying. Aside from that, she's also been compared to the likes of iconic first ladies like Jackie Kennedy and Nancy Reagan, but overall, she's a pretty elusive figure — until now, that is. Before becoming first lady, Trump was known for her history as a model who graced several major magazines, an entrepreneur who tried her hands at tons of business ventures, and so much more.
She Met Donald While He Was Still Married To His Second Wife, Marla Maples — And On A Date With Another Woman
Trump met Donald in 1998 at a Fashion Week party. At the time, he was married to (but separated from) his second wife, Marla Maples, and was at the event with another woman. According to a 2016 Harper's Bazaar profile piece of Trump, Donald asked for Trump's number, but since he was with another woman, she refused to give it to him. Instead, she reportedly said, "I am not giving you my number; you give me yours, and I will call you."
She said she expected Donald to give her his business number, but instead he gave her all of his numbers. "The office, Mar-a-Lago, home in New York, everything," she recalled.
For their first date, he reportedly treated her to dinner then took her to a popular nightlife spot, Moomba, in New York. I so cannot picture Donald Trump in a nightclub, but to each his own, IG.
She's The First Foreign-Born First Lady in 191 Years
Trump is the first foreign-born first lady since Louisa Adams, the wife of the sixth president John Quincy Adams, who was elected in 1825, according to Good Housekeeping. What's even more interesting is that, while she came to the United States in 1996, she didn't obtain citizenship until just over a decade ago, in 2006 (shortly after she married Donald in 2005).
She Changed Her Name
After launching her modeling career in Europe, Trump changed her birth name of Melanija Knavs to Melania Knauss. She reportedly did so in order for her name to be more in line with the continent's culture, and perhaps it paid off in North America, too: she's appeared in some pretty big magazines, including GQ, Vogue, and Sports Illustrated, between 2000 and 2005.
She Can Speak Several Languages
According to CNN, Trump can speak as many as six languages, including Slovenian, Serbian, Italian, German, French, and English.
Following the report, the International Business Times added that Trump joins just a few other first ladies who had the capabilities to speak a foreign language, including Louisa Adams, Pat Nixon, and Lou Hoover.
Impressive.
She's Been Involved In Various Business Endeavors
In addition to her gig as a fashion model, Trump also had her own skin-care line, QVC jewelry collection and worked as a guest host on the daytime hit show The View.
However, for the time being, she's put her business ventures on hold to support her husband and her son. In 2016, she told Harper's Bazaar:
Fashion is a tough business. I have a lot on my plate right now, and I'm busy enough. I don't have a nanny. I have a chef, and I have my assistant, and that's it. I do it myself.
Though she manages to be much more evasive of the spotlight than her hubby Donald, she's surely got the same entrepreneurial spirit. With a background as rich as hers, they're obviously a match made in heaven.
