Before becoming the poised First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump — born Melanija Knavs — lived a private life far from the spotlight. She grew up in the small town of Sevnica, Slovenia, and later moved to Ljubljana to study design. At 17, she began modeling, which led her to international fashion hubs like Milan and Paris before she eventually settled in New York City. Melania’s big turning point came in 1998 when she met Donald Trump at a Fashion Week party hosted by Paolo Zampolli, who had signed her to his modeling agency.
Although Trump arrived at the party with another woman, he was instantly interested in Melania and asked for her number. According to her close friend Edit Molnar, Melania refused to give it, saying, “He’s here with a woman.” Molnar described her as a “homebody” who rarely dated and preferred quiet nights to parties. Zampolli supported this, saying she didn’t date anyone in New York before Trump, often spending time alone at the gym or going to the movies by herself. Despite her face appearing on a massive Camel cigarette billboard in Times Square, she lived a modest and reserved lifestyle.
n 2005, Melania married Donald Trump in a lavish Palm Beach ceremony. Their son, Barron, was born the following year. But before Trump, a couple of men were romantically linked to her. The first was Peter Butoln, who claimed to be her teenage boyfriend when she moved to Ljubljana. He called her his “first real love,” saying they met in the city center and dated until he left for military service. Their final contact was a postcard she sent in 1987. However, Melania’s spokesperson later denied that Butoln had ever been her official boyfriend.
Another man, Jure Zorcic, met Melania in 1991 while riding his motorbike. Struck by her beauty, he turned around to introduce himself. They dated for a few months and vacationed together with friends along the Croatian coast. They lost touch when Melania moved abroad for modeling, but randomly met again in New York in 2000. Zorcic recalled her saying she now lived between New York and Florida and had no plans to return to Slovenia.
Following her relationship with Trump, Melania slowly stepped into the public eye. Despite the attention, she remained composed and supportive. In a 1999 interview, before Trump had officially entered politics, Melania said confidently: “He would be a great president. He’s very smart… He knows how to do business.”
From a quiet upbringing in Slovenia to life in Trump Tower and the White House, Melania’s journey is marked by independence, ambition, and a past few truly knew—until now.