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Ok, so she’s married to The Donald, meaning she could (possibly/maybe/hopefully not) be our next First Lady. But, um... who is she? Prior to writing this article, I knew very little about Melania Trump — like I didn’t even know her first name, I knew her as “Trump’s wife”. But as it turns out, there’s more to Melania than her proximity to her husband’s empire.Melania would really shake things up in the white house. For instance, she’d be the first FLOTUS to pose semi-nude for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Progress. And while I’m certainly not about to jump on Trump’s political bandwagon, I am going to advise that we take a moment to get to know the woman who stands behind it. She is not an extension of her husband, and it’s time she has a moment of her own.
[Photo: Splash News]
Before living the charmed life in Trump-hattan, Melania was a student, studying architecture at the University of Llubjana in her native Yugoslavia. [Photo: Shutterstock]
Melania's modeling career was major. Before taking the title of Mrs. Trump, Melania graced the covers of the world's top magazines, among them: Vogue, GQ, Elle, Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, Glamour, Allure, and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue (pictured here). [Photo: Twitter]
Donald and Melania met at a New York Fashion week party in 1998. Trump claims it was love at first sight; Melania begs to differ. Upon meeting, Trump asked Melania for her number but she wouldn’t give it to him. The reason? It’s a pretty good one: he had a date! [Photo: Shutterstock]
Melania and Donald Trump married in 2005 in a lavish beach-side ceremony. The preparations allegedly cost a cool $1 million. Fun fact: Bill and Hillary Clinton were among the guests! Oh, what a difference ten years makes… [Photo: Twitter]
Melania and Donald have a nine-year-old son named Barron. Melania calls Barron “mini Donald,” and it’s easy to see why. Barron looks just like his mogul father, and often steps out wearing Trump’s signature suit-and-tie look. [Photo: Splash News]
Barbra Walters is a fan! Walters sat down with the Trumps earlier this year, admitting that Melania was not what she'd expected. Walters confessed, "Maybe because she's so beautiful, we don't expect her to be as smart as she is." Walters then pointed to her own hypocrisy, saying, "If a man said this I'd kill him." [Photo: Instagram]
Melania tries to separate herself from her husband's campaign. Instead of hitting the trail with Trump, Melania opts to look after their nine-year-old son. Mrs. Trump has gone on record saying that she has very little sway when it comes to her husband's politics. "He is who he is," Melania told People Magazine. "Even if you give him advice, he will maybe take it in, but then he will do it the way he wants to do it. You cannot change a person. Let them be. Let them be the way they are." [Photo: Shutterstock]
Melania and Donald shared a brief cameo in 2001 comedy Zoolander. Do you remember? They were among the celebs rooting for Derek on the red carpet in the opening credits. [Photo: Splash News]
In addition to her role as mother, wife, and socialite, Melania is a designer; she has a jewelry and timepiece line through QVC. Shop Melania's line here! [Photo: Splash News]
Melania is an active philanthropist. She has donated her time and energy to The American Red Cross, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Martha Graham Dance Company, The Boy's Club of New York, and myriad other organizations. [Photo: Shutterstock]
When Donald's daughter Tiffany first met Melania, she told her father, "Daddy, you should marry her!" Melania remains on good terms with all of the Trump children. In an interview this past September Melania spoke of their relationship, telling People Magazine, "I'm their friend. I'm not their mom." [Photo: Shutterstock]
