Before she became First Lady, Melania Trump led a quiet, mysterious life—one that included a few discreet romances few knew about. Until now.
Born Melanija Knavs in Sevnica, Slovenia, she pursued modeling from Ljubljana to Paris, Milan, and finally New York City, where her life would change forever.
Meeting Donald Trump
Melania met Trump in 1998 at a Fashion Week party hosted by Paolo Zampolli, who had signed her to his modeling agency. Despite Trump arriving with a date, he was captivated by her. But according to Melania’s friend Edit Molnar, she initially refused to give him her number. “Donald did all the work,” Molnar said.
Zampolli added that Melania wasn’t a party girl. “She never dated in New York before Donald. She stayed home, went to the gym, and watched movies alone.”
The two married in 2005 and had their son Barron the next year.
Early Romances
Before Trump, Melania reportedly had two notable relationships in Slovenia.
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Peter Butoln, her alleged first love, said they dated as teens when she moved to Ljubljana. Their romance ended when he left for military service, and their last contact was a postcard from her in 1987. However, Melania’s spokesperson later denied he was ever her official boyfriend.
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Jure Zorcic, whom she dated in 1991, said they met when he saw her walking and turned his motorcycle around to talk to her. They dated for several months and traveled with friends before she left Slovenia to model abroad. They bumped into each other in New York in 2000, where she told him she was now living between NYC and Florida and wouldn’t return to Slovenia.
Zorcic later reflected: “Her marriage to Trump was fate. Nobody could have imagined she’d end up living at the top of the world.”
From Slovenia to Trump Tower
After meeting Trump, Melania transitioned from a quiet modeling life to international fame. In a 1999 interview, she said confidently, “He would be a great president… He knows how to do business. He would be a great leader.”
Even then, she was determined to prove she was more than just a pretty face.