Who is Melania Trump? What to know about the president's wife and incoming first lady
All eyes are on the Trump family as American businessman and former president Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.
Trump, 78, who claimed a sweeping victory in the presidential election, will be sworn in as the country's top leader on Monday at noon ET at the west front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., according to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
Along with Trump's return to the White House comes the same for first lady-to-be, Melania Trump, who said she's ready to move back in on Day 1.
Here's what to know about the president's wife as the family steps back into the White House.
Where is Melania from?
Melania, 54, then Melanija Knavs, was born in Slovenia, which was then part of Yugoslavia. She began modelling at the age of 16 and moved to New York when she was 26.
When did Donald and Melania get married?
Trump and Melania tied the knot in January 2005. The couple will be celebrating 20 years of marriage on Jan. 22, 2025, just two days after Trump is sworn into office.
Melania is Trump's third wife. He was previously married to Ivana Trump, with whom he has three children, and Marla Maples, with whom he has one daughter.
How many children does Melania have?
Melania and Trump have one son, Barron Trump. Barron, 18, is a freshman at New York University's Stern School of Business, with a mass following of his own.
Will Melania move to the White House?
While Melania moved to the White House almost five months after Trump assumed office during his first term, this time she's planning to arrive on Day 1.
In a recent television interview, the once and future first lady said she will move into the White House when her husband’s term begins on Jan. 20, despite speculation that she would spend a majority of the next four years either in New York City or Palm Beach, Florida, where the family’s Mar-a-Lago estate is located.
“I will be in the White House,” she said during the appearance on "Fox & Friends." “And, you know, when I need to be in New York, I will be in New York. When I need to be in Palm Beach, I will be in Palm Beach. But my first priority is, you know, to be a mom, to be a first lady, to be a wife. And once we are in on Jan. 20, you serve the country.”
'Melania': A memoir
In October last year, Melania dropped a memoir which "offers an unprecedented look into her time as a First Lady," according to its description.
The book, packed with photos of the onetime fashion model, is a plainspoken dash through Melania’s life, wrote Paste BN's Dan Morrison, from her Cold War childhood in Yugoslavia – where her father was a prosperous businessman who drove a Citroën Maserati SM – to her arrival in New York at age 26, to her life with Trump and in the White House.
Melania also used the book to affirm her stance as pro-choice. Framing the abortion issue as one of personal freedom, Melania, in her memoir, writes, “A woman’s fundamental right to individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy.”
Melania will be the subject of a new documentary
Melania will be the subject of a new documentary that has been licensed by Amazon Prime Video for streaming and a movie theater release later this year. Melania Trump is listed as an executive producer of the project, which means she is likely to get a cut of the $40 million Amazon paid in licensing fees.
The documentary, which began filming last month, will provide an "unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at First Lady Melania Trump," an Amazon spokesperson earlier said.
Contributing: Michael Collins, Dan Morrison, Paste BN and Kristina Webb, Paste BN NETWORK
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for Paste BN. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.