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Melania Knauss Profile |
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Birth Date: April 26, 1970
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Birth Place: Sevnica, Slovenia
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Birth Name: Melanija Knavs
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Height: 5'11"
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Biography |
Born in Yugoslavia, in an area now a part of the Republic of
Slovenia, in 1974, Melania Knauss grew up in a comfortable
but overprotective household. Her Austrian father and
Slovenian mother wished to make sure their daughter was
well-educated so that wherever she ended up in life, she'd
be well placed to succeed. This translated into many hours
of study for the young Knauss; as a child, her head was
frequently buried in a book.
As Melania blossomed into a stunning young lady, she
realized that another asset, besides the mind, could be
utilized to succeed. Knauss had developed a curvaceous body
to match her beautiful face. Out of high school and in the
process of becoming a quadrilingual -- she learned English
on top of Eastern Europe dialects -- she tried her hand at
modeling in her homeland.
After Melania put in a lot of hard work and received little
in terms of pay or job opportunities in return, she decided
to travel to the United States to see how things would work
out. She was bent on establishing herself as a successful
and unique model, confident she could woo designers and
magazines with both her body and wit.
In the late 1990s, work began to finally roll in. Melania
did ads for a small watch-company, found work with Panasonic
in a television commercial and strolled the catwalks of New
York City a few times for local lingerie designers. Sill, it
wasn't the big break she had been hoping for. Life was still
giving her the cold shoulder.
Her luck would change in 1999, however. At a red-carpet
fashion event, Knauss met billionaire developer Donald
Trump. He was just coming off his well-documented divorce
from Marla Maples and was on the rebound. Despite their age
difference, the two hit it off. The relationship bloomed
slowly, partly because Trump wished to give the media some
time to stop gabbing about his most recent failed marriage.
Just when news was breaking that "The Donald" was dating a
stunning Slovenian, Knauss shot a pictorial for Allure
magazine. She then became a frequent newsmaker after her
developer boyfriend announced his interests in running for
the Reform Party presidential nomination. As Trump toured
the country spreading his political mandate, Knauss,
naturally, received most of the attention while at his side.
Together, they were interviewed on The Howard Stern Radio
Show during Trump's campaign and announced to the world they
were happy and, to the delight of gossip columnists, quite
naughty. After the interview, news spread quickly of
Knauss's penchant for sexual wickedness. British GQ picked
up on this and had her pose nude in Trump's private jet for
their January 2000 cover.
Though the attention over Trump's presidential bid died
down, Knauss continued to get attention. Between features in
Celebrity Sleuth (as the 9th Sexiest Woman of 2001), Ocean
Drive and Country Living, she was recognized as a true New
York socialite, appearing at the city's most popular fashion
shows, celebrity parties and five-star restaurants. Though
it was reported that in 2000, Trump and Knauss had broken
up, both now contend the rocky period in their relationship
was short-lived.
Soon, with her rich boyfriend still firmly in the picture,
magazines FHM and Front came calling for small, but very
memorable, spreads. Knauss also worked for jeweler Charles &
Covard, appearing in print ads in Vogue and Vanity Fair. In
2003, having now moved into the multi-million dollar
penthouse atop Trump Tower, Melania became a celebrity judge
for the Miss USA Pageant, which Donald Trump owns. Speaking
of Trump, he proposed to Melania in April of 2004.
Melania has done less and less modeling work, concentrating
instead on simply living the high life. She continues to be
a constant in the New York social scene, appearing at the
2004 Academy Awards and on The Apprentice, Trump's reality
TV series.
On January 22, 2005, Melania and The Donald tied the knot in
Palm Beach, Florida, in what was likely one of the most
expensive ceremonies of the decade. |
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Other
Information |
Model. Has posed for GQ, Front, Vogue, Vanity Fair and FHM.
Austrian father and Slovenian mother.
She and Donald Trump married in Palm Beach, Florida, in what
was touted as the most expensive society wedding of the year
(22 January 2005).
Her wedding dress was designed by Christian Dior.
September 2005: Announced she is expecting her first child
with Donald Trump in Spring 2006. This will be her first
child and his fifth child.
Stepmother of Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump
(mother is Ivana Trump) and Tiffany Trump (mother is Marla
Maples).
Son, Barron William Trump, born at 5 a.m. on 20 March 2006,
weighing 8 pounds and 5 ounces.
Was among the guests at Usher Raymond's 26th birthday party. |
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