Ever since the family photo at Christmas in which Melania Trump (53) was missing, observers and fans have been wondering where the former First Lady is. While at the end of December there was still official talk of “a family affair”, her husband, former US President Donald Trump (77), now revealed the sad truth: “Melania – great first lady, so popular that people love her – “She’s now in the hospital with her mother. Her mother, Amalija, is very sick, but hopefully she’s recovering,” he said at his New Year’s Eve event in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, after his wife was once again absent.
As People magazine reported, citing a source, Trump added: “But she was very sick, so I just want to say hello to the first lady – we just spoke, down in Miami, great hospital – and hopefully they’ll be okay, but they’re brave, very brave. She probably knows about 95 percent of the people in this room. We just wish Amalija gets better as quickly as possible.”
Trump’s comment comes as Melania was also absent from a Trump family Christmas photo in December, which featured almost all other family members. These include Ivanka Trump (42) and her husband Jared Kushner (42), Tiffany Trump (30), Barron Trump (17), Donald Trump Jr. (46) and his fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle. Eric Trump (39) and his wife Lara were also not seen in the photo, but did take part in the New Year’s event.
Melania’s mother, Amalija Knavs (78), and her father, Viktor Knavs (79), have both lived in Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, where her daughter and the former president also live, for the past few years. Melania and Donald are said to live in separate areas of the property but often dine together or attend events at the private club.
The former first lady has rarely appeared in public since her husband left office. She made her first official appearance in November when she attended the memorial service for Rosalynn Carter (1927-2023) along with the other living first ladies.
She made another appearance last month when she appeared as the guest of honor at a naturalization ceremony for new American citizens in the rotunda of the National Archives headquarters.
