Through scandal and silence, the First Lady of the U.S. stands by her husband. While the world questions her loyalty, those who know her best say one thing is clear.
Amid years of political firestorms, personal betrayals, and the unforgiving glare of the spotlight, Melania Trump has remained a quiet, inscrutable presence at the side of her 80-year-old husband, President Donald Trump.
Melania and Donald Trump attend the Military Mothers event at the White House on May 8, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
Her icy silence and unwavering stillness have fueled endless speculation, but to those who truly know the 56-year-old former model, her decision to stay was never a mystery.
President Trump and First Lady Melania attend “Les Misérables” opening in Washington, DC, on June 11, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
A Longtime Friend Shares What She Saw
In 2003, while working at Vogue, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff — author, former adviser, and close friend — met Melania, who was then a model dating Donald. The two developed a close friendship. “We shared a lot over 15 years,” Stephanie said in a 2020 interview with ABC News.
Pamela Gross Finkelstein, Judith Giuliani, Melania Trump, and Stephanie Winston Wolkoff attend a fashion luncheon in New York City, May 9, 2006 | Source: Getty Images
Following Donald’s 2016 election victory, Stephanie was brought in to help plan the inauguration and later served as an unpaid adviser to the First Lady. From that position, she observed Melania’s private world up close, both during the transition and in the early days of the administration.
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff poses for photos at Trump Tower in New York City on December 5, 2016 | Source: Getty Images
That insider view became especially revealing during a pivotal moment in the campaign, when news outlets released the “Access Hollywood” tape, capturing Donald making lewd and offensive comments about women. The backlash was swift and intense, and many speculated about how Melania would respond.
Stephanie recalled meeting Melania for lunch that day, expecting someone distraught. “She was radiant, she was smiling,” she recalled. “It was as if nothing happened.”
Trying to break the tension, Stephanie cracked a joke: “I said to her, ‘How many times have you heard the words ‘p—-‘ and ‘president’ in the same sentence?’ And we burst out laughing.” Stephanie added, “She knows who she married… She knew what she was getting into, and so did he.”
U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive at the UN General Assembly in New York City on September 23, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
Despite later feeling betrayed by Melania, Stephanie spoke admiringly of the First Lady’s ability to maintain control, describing her as someone whose quiet confidence was constant and even reassuring to those around her.
Melania Trump attends the State Banquet at Windsor Castle in England on September 17, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
A Former Aide Offers Her Perspective
In May 2024, former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham offered a rare glimpse into Melania’s thinking, and why she’s staying put.
Speaking to CNN, the ex-press secretary acknowledged that the media coverage around Donald’s personal scandals could be humiliating for Melania, but that doesn’t mean she’s planning to leave.
Stephanie Grisham walks to Marine One on the White House South Lawn on March 8, 2019 | Source: Getty Images
Still, she made it clear: Melania is staying. “But yeah, she knew who she married,” the former aide added. “She’s happy, she’s got a very good life. She’s not going anywhere; that’s been proven.”
Sources Point to Her Continued Withdrawal from Politics
Melania’s distance from politics is intentional. According to a 2021 CNN report, several people close to her said she had no plans to re-enter public life, even if her husband wins a second term.
“Being first lady again is not what she wants,” one source told the news outlet. “For her, it was a chapter – and it’s over, and that’s that.“
Melania Trump listens as Donald Trump speaks at a military family picnic on the White House South Lawn on July 4, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
The report detailed her well-known reluctance to attend campaign appearances. A political operative from the 2016 Trump team said, “We just stopped asking altogether,” after repeated refusals to attend events.
As First Lady, Melania maintained a sparse public profile, giving fewer than five on-camera interviews and granting no print interviews, an unheard-of level of privacy for someone in that role.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania visit Windsor Castle, England, on September 17, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
Long before the White House placed her under constant scrutiny, Melania led a life shaped by privacy, routine, and quiet ambition. On October 13, 2025, reports surfaced offering rare glimpses into her dating life before Donald.
She has said she prefers to keep her life private, even if she’s no stranger to the spotlight. “I’m not shy of the media. I’m not shy about the camera. That’s my business. That’s my modeling career. But it sometimes could be very tricky and unpleasant, unfair,” she once admitted.
Melania’s Quiet Life in New York
During her single years in New York, Melania lived a low-key lifestyle, focusing on health and discipline. She reportedly walked with ankle weights, ate at least seven pieces of fruit daily, and maintained a strict skincare routine.
She wasn’t into the party scene and skipped out on nightclubs. A typical night out would involve dinner at Cipriani at 10 p.m., followed by a return home by 1 a.m.
Her taste in men leaned toward wealthy, industrious Europeans. According to those close to her, she occasionally dated Italian men and playboys, but their outings were usually just dinner, and she would be home soon after.
Melania kept to a daily routine: working out, swimming, and relaxing in the sauna. Unless she had errands or a modeling job, she preferred to stay in. Back then, her style was understated. Now, with access to high fashion and designer labels, she’s elevated her wardrobe and is often seen in her signature Manolo Blahnik heels.
What Friends Said About Melania Trump
“She was reserved; the first party she ever came to with me was the one she met Donald [Trump] at,” said her friend Edit Molnar. Paolo Zampolli, president of ID Models — the agency that discovered her and brought her to New York in 1996 — also described her as a “homebody.”
“She never dated anyone in New York before Donald. She only went to movies by herself and to the gym,” he added. Still, a few men have claimed to be part of Melania’s romantic past before Donald — and here’s what we know about them.
The Alleged First Boyfriend, Peter Butoln
A man named Peter Butoln once claimed he was Melania’s first boyfriend, sharing memories from her teenage years in Slovenia, including how they met. “It was my first love,” Peter admitted to Inside Edition. “My first real love.”
Melania, born in the small town of Sevnica with a population of just 5,000, reportedly met Peter after moving to Ljubljana at 17 to attend an elite high school.
He said he approached her after spotting her walking in the city center, as he was instantly smitten with Melania’s stunning beauty. However, their relationship ended when he left for military service, and they never saw each other again.
The last contact Peter had with Melania was through a postcard she sent in 1987, shortly after their split. “I send you this postcard with nice warm regards from the seaside,” she reportedly wrote on the card. He kept it with him through the years.
Despite his sweet memories with Melania, a spokesperson for the First Lady clarified that Peter was never her boyfriend.
Her Last Slovenian Boyfriend, Jure Zorcic
Melania’s former boyfriend, Jure Zorcic, also spoke publicly about their past, telling ABC News that she stood out even as a young woman. “She wanted to live abroad, in Italy, France, a life of fashion,” he said. “She was very fashionable.”
Jure Zorcic answers an interview question about his ex-girlfriend, Melania Trump, dated February 25, 2016. | Source: YouTube/Top TV Slovenija
The two met in 1991 in Slovenia. At the time, Jure was riding a motorbike and noticed her walking down the street. “I had a moment and thought, ‘Wow, who is this girl? She is so beautiful, I must turn back and follow her,'” he said, describing the first time they met, as if it were straight out of a Hollywood movie.
After stopping to talk, he took her out for coffee. They dated for several months and often spent time along the Croatian coast with their friends.
Jure Zorcic speaks about Melania Trump during an interview dated February 25, 2016. | Source: YouTube/Top TV Slovenija
Jure said he was surprised when she suddenly left Slovenia to pursue her modeling career. She went on to live in Paris and Milan before eventually settling in New York.
The two crossed paths again in 2000. He recalled being surprised that she was speaking English and asked if she had forgotten she was Slovenian. Melania eventually married Donald in 2005.
“I think her marriage to Trump was fate,” Jure shared. “Nobody believed 20 years ago that she would live at the top of the world, on Fifth Avenue in Trump Tower — even her!”
Apart from Peter and Jure, Melania’s friend, author Stephanie, revealed in her book “Melania and Me” that the model had a boyfriend during her time abroad in Paris and Milan, but did not disclose more. She also went on a few casual dates here and there.
Why Her Marriage to Donald Trump Works
Ultimately, Melania found what she called the perfect partner in Donald. According to Vladimira Tomsic, a woman who attended the same school and is close to her parents, the reason their marriage works is rooted in the First Lady’s upbringing.
Melania is the ideal wife for Donald, and they are the perfect match who complement and support one another.
During one interview, Melania herself pushed back on claims that she dated her 53-year-old businessman boyfriend at the time for financial gain, saying you can’t “talk with” or “hug” beautiful things.
Melania also once joked that the secret to her lasting marriage with Donald was having separate bathrooms. She has also addressed her critics: “They don’t know me,” she said, while describing Donald as “very kind” and “very charming.”
Melania Was Recently at Her Husband’s Side to Celebrate His Birthday
Melania’s husband marked his 80th birthday with a spectacle unlike any previously held at the White House: a UFC mixed martial arts event staged on the South Lawn on Sunday, June 14, 2026.
The temporary arena drew thousands of spectators, with more watching on large screens from the nearby Ellipse, as fighters competed inside a wire-mesh Octagon beneath “The Claw,” a towering metal structure fitted with lights, sound equipment, and screens.
Donald began the evening alongside UFC Chief Dana White, walking from the Oval Office to the Blue Room Balcony to view the Octagon before standing for the national anthem as fighter jets flew overhead.
The event drew several high-profile guests, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Polish President Karol Nawrocki and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, with whom Donald briefly spoke during the fights.
Despite the summer heat, Donald wore a suit and tie as he watched much of the action from ringside. He later put on a white USA hat during Sean O’Malley’s fight against Canadian Aiemann Zahabi, and after Sean’s victory, the fighter shook Donald’s hand and saluted him.
Melania was also with the president at the event, and the two could be seen speaking during the opening fight between Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia.
Donald, Melania, and Barron Trump at the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 14, 2026. | Source: Getty Images
Melania’s journey from a small town in Slovenia to the First Lady of the United States is a story of discipline, ambition, and mystery. While much has been said about her past, she has stayed private, showing only small glimpses of her real self.
She has always shown focus and restraint — traits that still define her. Whether she is praised for her elegance or criticized for her silence, Melania’s story is one of quiet strength and firm control over how the world sees her.
