As former President Donald Trump entered the courtroom on Monday for the first day of jury selection in his felony hush-money trial, he made a statement but took no questions—especially not the one about his current wife.
“Where’s Melania?” a voice called out.
Trump’s third wife did not show up at Manhattan Criminal Court this morning, and, if history is any guide, will not be present for any of the proceedings.
Melania Trump’s ex-East Wing aide Stephanie Grisham told CNN last week that the case—which centers on a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels so she would keep quiet about her alleged affair with Donald Trump in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election—is “very, very embarrassing” for the onetime first lady.
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“It’s humiliating for her,” Grisham said. “… I can guarantee you that she’s not happy right now, and that he’s quite worried about that.”
According to Grisham, Melania once lashed out to her about Daniels, calling her “the porn hooker.”
The former Melania Knavs has only spoken out once about the alleged affair, telling ABC News, “It is not a concern and focus of mine. I’m a mother and first lady, and I have much more important things to think about and to do. I know people like to speculate, and [the] media like[s] to speculate about our marriage.”
She did not accompany Trump last April to his arraignment in the hush-money case, to which he has pleaded not guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records. In fact, she has not been seen at any of Trump’s myriad court appearances in the various criminal and civil proceedings he faces, including charges of mishandling classified documents, attempts to subvert the 2020 election results, a lawsuit over a past sexual assault, and more.
Melania is far less visible than most any other presidential wife, current or former, in modern history. Reporters from The Washington Post tried to locate her last fall, traveling to Palm Beach in their quest to track down the whereabouts of the 53-year-old onetime model, but struck out entirely. According to People magazine, a friend of Melania’s said she “is leading her own life, and still feels happy being at Mar-a-Lago, surrounded by people who love her and who never talk about reality, or bad things about her husband.”
The Trumps, People also reported, live in separate areas of Mar-a-Lago, the private country club the former first couple now call home (which was met with considerable pushback by Palm Beach County zoning officials).
Republican consultant Ryan Williams, a Palm Beach resident, told the Post of Melania that he’s “never seen her outside the walls of Mar-a-Lago.”
When reports of the Stormy Daniels payoff emerged in 2018, The New York Times deemed it one of the most upsetting “episodes” in the pair’s relationship.
Asked for comment, Trump spokesman and ex-MMA cage fighter Steven Cheung told the Post, “There will always be those who seek relevance and financial gain by inserting themselves into stories. Mrs. Trump has always been and will always be focused on her family, as it is her number one priority. Any reports claiming to have insight into her life should be read with caution.”
