Melania: 15 things you didn't know about Mrs Donald Trump

From nude photo shoots and a creepy phone call to a $100,000 wedding dress and a secret half-brother

Melania Trump
Rumour has it that when the billionaire real estate tycoon first asked for her number at a party, Melania said no
(Image credit: David McNew/Getty Images)

The president-elect's wife opened up in an interview with TV journalist Lesley Stahl for 60 Minutes on CBS.

After acknowledging that her husband's tweets sometimes "got him in trouble", the 46-year-old was asked if she tells him when she thinks he has "crossed a line".

"Yes, I tell him all the time," she said. "I think he hears me. But he will do what he wants to do in the end. He's an adult. He knows the consequences. And I give him my opinion. And he could do whatever he likes with it."

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Melania kept a fairly low profile during the Republican's election campaign. Her brief spell in the spotlight during the Republican National Convention in July was far from smooth, as she faced accusations of copying parts of her speech from Michelle Obama.

Another recent speech, in which she promised to end online abuse, was met with derision as critics lined up to point out all the abusive messages dished out by her husband on social media.

The world is likely to find out much more about Melania over the next four years. But, for now, here are 14 things you might not know about the next first lady:

Melania is Donald's third wife

The former Melania Knauss started dating Donald Trump in 1998, married him in 2005 and gave birth to their son, Barron, the following year. Before Melania, Donald was married for a few years in the 1990s to Marla Maples, a television personality, former beauty queen and mother to their daughter Tiffany Trump. The couple met while the businessman was still with his first wife, Czechoslovakian Ivana Zelnickova, who he had married in 1977. They have three children – Ivanka, Eric and eldest child Donald Trump Jr, who, at 38, is eight years younger than his stepmother Melania.

Ivana and Donald were leading socialites in New York during the 1980s, but their marriage ended with a very public divorce in 1992. Absolutely Fabulous star Jennifer Saunders says some of the inspiration for the show's fashionista Patsy Stone, played by Joanna Lumley, came from Ivana, who often sports a high blonde beehive.