15 Things You Didn't Know About Melania Trump

It's difficult to view Melania Trump as anything more than an extension of Donald Trump's harsh rhetoric and questionable morals. But the truth is she is her own woman that deserves to be judged separately from her controversial spouse. She is the future First Lady of the United States and how she will fill that important role is up for debate. But how much do you truly know about Melania Trump outside of what you've seen through the media? While the news has covered a lot of who she may be, there are a few fine details you still might not know about the mysterious woman. Is there a silver lining or does she deserve to be brandished as the face of reproach? From her lavish taste to her secret family, you probably want to know more about the woman who chose to marry Donald Trump. Here are 15 things you didn't know about Melania Trump. You are probably in for a big surprise.

15 The Clintons Were Her Wedding Guests

The power couples were not always enemies pitted against each other on the political field. Donald Trump wasn't always taking petty jabs at the former Secretary of State on Twitter, either, so it's pretty clear how much things have changed over the past decade. It's been noted that Melania Trump likes everything expensive, and her wedding to Donald back in 2005 was no exception. the wedding took place in Palm Beach, Florida and the guest list contained 350 guests, many of which whom were celebrities. Can you imagine? Melania wore a $100,000 Dior dress with 1,500 crystals, which took an astonishing and legendary 550 hours to make. It had a thirteen-foot train and her veil was sixteen feet long. Unfortunately, the dress was so insanely hard to walk in, Melania couldn't handle it for the poolside after party and opted for a Vera Wang hand-ruched silk tulle Grecian dress. Yup, really sounds like that was a downgrade.

14 She Speaks Five Languages

We have not gotten to listen to many of Melania's speeches, and she was not as prominent in the public eye during Donald's campaign as say, his daughter Ivanka was, so everyone is curious about what kind of First Lady she is going to be. Well, maybe we will get a taste of another language. It has been theorized that we do not hear a lot of her public speaking due to her heavy accent, which does not always coincide with her husband's immigration policies. It can definitely be concluded, however, that her linguistic prowess will be a handy tool at White House functions, and it might add a multicultural dash to the country. She speaks Slovenian, English, French, Serbian, and German. Melania Trump should certainly be proud of that skill. Apparently, she is even the first First Lady who can speak that many languages. So maybe her accent will get in the way but she should not hide these amazing skills!

13 She Was A Model

It was her beauty that landed her in the United States. But before she landed in America, Melania posed for a Slovenian fashion photographer at the age of sixteen. It wasn't long after that that she signed with a modeling agency in Milan, Italy, and was named runner-up in the 1992 Jana Magazine “Look of the Year” contest. Don't we all wish we could start modeling that young and have our career set because of it? It was in 1996 when she relocated to the United States to truly launch her career in New York City, and we're not surprised that it was her beautiful images that probably caught Donald's eye. She even landed on Vogue and Sports Illustrated, in a bikini, of course. In 2001, she applied for a green card, claiming she had “extraordinary ability” as a model. Considering some of the photos we've seen of her, we guess we could buy that.

12 She Grew Up In Communist Yugoslavia

She was born Melanija Knavs in the southeast of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia, which is part of Yugoslavia. Her father managed car and motorcycle dealerships, so we know she didn't always have millions of dollars at her disposal. If you want to brush up on your history, this means she lived in Yugoslavia during the reign of Marshal Josip Tito, which is crazy far from the glamorous high-rises of New York. She is only the second First Lady to ever been born abroad, and the only one to grow up in a communist nation. Melania Trump is breaking a lot of political barriers, and she is certainly someone we want to know more about. Her status as an immigrant and her experience in a foreign country makes her all the more intriguing, especially when her motherland is politically the polar opposite of America. Give us some insight, Melania!

11 She's The Least Popular First Lady So Far

Early on in the polls, Melania was fairly neutral, especially considering no one knew that much about her since her voice had been strangely absent in the public eye. And we learned why in the above entries. Initially, her convention speech was received very well, but then things took a downhill turn. There were crazy high expectations to hear what she finally had to say, but, unfortunately, she copied Michelle Obama's 2008 convention speech almost word for word. Can you imagine? Did she not think that people would notice something like this? Since then, Melania has struggled to overcome that spectacle as many view her as unintelligent and unoriginal. Her speechwriters eventually took the blame for the so-called "misunderstanding" but Melania is still the one taking the heat. Who was the least most popular First Lady before her, you ask? That would apparently be none other than Hillary Clinton. What?

10 She Has Tried To Keep Donald In Line

It would be an understatement to say that her husband has said some distasteful things, whether online, at his rallies, or in audio recordings. However, Donald did mention at one rally that his wife and Ivanka wish he would reform his behavior. Melania apparently told him at one point that he should “act presidential." She has also insisted that she is not shy when it comes to vocalizing her opinions to her husband, which is what every wife should be doing. Melania has even gone as far to state that she does not agree with everything Donald says, and she will remain her own person. Yes, Melania, you be that powerful woman. The most hilarious comment? When asked what habit she wants her husband to quit, she immediately said, "the tweeting." (LOL) We feel you, Melania, we feel you. Clearly, she has attempted to be the woman behind the man.

9 She's A Dedicated Mom

While she inherited a gaggle of stepchildren and even grandchildren when marrying Donald Trump, she also had one of her own not long after the two got married. Barron, otherwise known as Little Donald, is being raised to be the miniature version of his father, according to Melania. We hope you're teaching him manners at least… but apparently not, because along with his desire to wear suits and ties identical to his dad's, he also enjoys firing nannies and housekeepers. Melania stated she always hires them back, though. She spends most of her time with her son, helping him with homework and even taking him out to sports practices, as he spends more time with her than his father. She even spoke to Michelle Obama about raising kids in the White House during some of their most important years and how to be a good parent when doing so. It's clear Melania is always putting her son first.

8 She Has Posed Nude

Another first for the next First Lady! She's the only presidential spouse to ever pose nude, which could be an empowering feat. But did Melania really think that one day she'd be the First Lady of the United States of America when she first began modeling in a different country? It's safe to assume, probably not. Three years before she met her future husband, she flaunted it all for a French men's magazine. It was a bombshell photo set, to say the least, which The New York Post got wind out. It shows Melania lying naked in a bed next to Scandinavian model Emma Eriksson. We bet that shoot must have been smoldering. It can certainly be viewed as a powerful image for one of the most sophisticated women in the world, the First Lady, to be owning her body and shattering body expectations of a woman in such a renowned position, even if it was decades before she would find herself in the White House. Apparently, Melania was very charming during the shoot.

7 She Has A Half-Brother No One Knows About

Is it shocking that the Trumps have a secret or two in their closet? No, but this one is a bit weird. A journalist found out that Melania's dad, Victor Knavs, actually had a son that she never knew about before he married her mom. Now that's some family drama and big time. We can't even pretend to understand the circumstances surrounding this lovechild, but the dad agreed to pay child support thanks to the legal system proving that he was the biological father. Apparently, Melania's father has never acknowledged his son's existence. Did Melania try and take the same path? At first, she denied the reports she had a secret half brother, stating they were false. It was only when she was confronted with court documents that she backpedaled and said she's known about her brother for years. He still resides in Slovenia, but will his sister's rise to power initiate his interest in America? Not with Donald's immigration laws.

6 She Has Been A Philanthropist

With all the money she has thanks to her billionaire husband, we'd hope they would do a little donating to charity! She's taken on a variety of philanthropic causes in New York and beyond. To name a few, she's been involved with the Boys Club of New York, Love Our Children USA, The American Red Cross, and the Police Athletic League. At least it appears she's also dedicated to helping her country, especially the vulnerable groups such as children. However, despite this displayed generosity, she's done some peculiar things with her money, such as bid on a six-foot tall painting of her husband at an auction. This doesn't sound too bizarre, other than knowing that a six-foot tall painting of Donald Trump exists, but when you realize she bid $20,000 dollars on the painting? What in the world are you doing with your money, Melania? We hope to see more philanthropy and less Donald Trump paintings, that's for sure.

5 She Became A US Citizen In 2006

This is always an ironic fact brought up about the future First Lady since part of her husband rose to popularity was due to his hard stance on immigration. It isn't shocking that she would have her husband's back, but her enthusiasm for the tough rhetoric is considered to be a big problem since she herself immigrated to America. Perhaps the country wants to see more sympathy for people that were once in her situation. However, the Associated Press reported that Melania was paid for ten modeling jobs in the United States worth around twenty thousand dollars before she had legal permission to work in the country. A bit of hypocrisy, maybe? Naturally, the Trumps have denied all of this, but their credibility has always been in question. Is it possible the people want to see a little more honesty from Melania? It's easy to wonder if these speculations and reports will reappear as she comes to live in the White House.

4 She Wants To Stop Cyberbullying

Everyone can agree this is exciting news and we can completely agree with it. Cyberbullying has destroyed lives and continues to haunt today's teenagers and young adults, and Melania definitely acknowledges this. In a rare campaign speech just days before the election, Melania outlined her vision for her future role in the White House. She stated she would attempt to combat the diseased culture on social media that has become “too mean and too tough”, and which revolves around scrutiny based on “looks and intelligence.” It's pretty exciting to hear a First Lady echoing the thoughts of many millennials, but we have yet to hear how she would do this, as it would be an impossible feat to censor the internet trolls. Unfortunately, it can be argued that this is another act of hypocrisy, considering her husband bullies people ruthlessly on twitter. Lady Gaga certainly thinks so, as she led a chorus of critics unhappy to hear Melania say these things. Good try, Melania!

3 She Had A Creepy Howard Stern Encounter

If you are googling Melania Trump, you will definitely come across this disturbing call. On his radio show back in 1999, Howard Stern was chatting with Donald Trump when the conversation turned to his girlfriend. Stern objectified Melania and called her a “broad” with no protest from Donald who threw Melania under the bus and put her live on air with Howard, who asked what she was wearing. When Melania answered with that she was not wearing much, Stern answered with “my pants are already off.” The fact that this happened all on air, or that Melania put up with Donald placing her in this incredibly uncomfortable and scary situation, leaves everyone with a million questions. It is disturbing as hell and we are sorry that Melania was put in that creepy position thanks to her future husband. Hopefully, she has never had to experience anything similar to this since.

2 She Went To University

There was a ton of confusion about the Trump campaign website for a while as it stated that Melania had completed a degree in architecture at the University of Ljubljana, but in reality, she attended this school for only one year before dropping out. It's unclear what exactly she intended to do with her education, but the website now states that she took a pause from college to focus on her modeling career. A grand amount of interest surmounted her education after her convention speech mirrored Michelle Obama's, but what Melania is truly talented in is jewelry. Being a former model, she knows a thing or two about accessories, and she's capitalized on that knowledge by launching her Melania Timepieces & Jewelry line. None of the pieces are too outrageously expensive, considering her fine and glamorous taste. It's amazing to see someone following their passions, as everyone should. Where would her life have taken her if she actually got that architecture degree?

1 She Wants To Be Like Jackie Kennedy

Jackie Kennedy biographer Pamela Keogh told the Daily Mail that just like the iconic First Lady, Melania is “beautiful, smart, and keeps her own counsel.” Friends of the future First Lady also warn that she should not be underestimated. Over a decade ago when Donald Trump was pondering a presidential campaign, people asked Melania what kind of First Lady she would be if she ever landed in the White House. She told the New York Times that if it were to ever happen, she would be “very traditional, like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy.” It's a nice sentiment, but as Jackie Kennedy was one of the most beautiful souls to reside in the White House, as she and her family embodied the American dream, those are big shoes for Melania to fill. Over the course of the next four years, we'll see if she keeps true to her word as expectations rise and rise. It's unlikely she has the integrity to do it.