When Melania Trump met Donald Trump in 1998 during Fashion Week at New York’s Kit Kat Klub, she was drawn to his “vitality” and “energy.” At the time, Melania, a Slovenian model, had recently moved to the U.S., and Trump had just divorced Marla Maples. Despite being on a date with another woman, Trump asked for Melania’s number. She refused, instead telling him, “You give me yours, and I will call you,” explaining, “I wanted to see if it was a business number.”
Their first date took place at Trump’s Seven Springs estate in New York. After dating for several years, Trump proposed at the 2004 Met Gala. The couple married at Mar-a-Lago in 2005 and welcomed their son, Barron, in 2006. Reflecting on her independence, Melania later said, “I’m standing on my own two feet… I have my own ‘yes’ and ‘no.’”
