Melania Trump’s Secret Love Life Before Donald — The Untold Story Revealed
Before she became the poised First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump lived a life wrapped in quiet mystery, filled with ambition, hard work, and a few carefully guarded romances.
Born Melanija Knavs in Sevnica, Slovenia, her journey to global recognition is anything but ordinary.
Long before her marriage to Donald Trump in 2005, she pursued a modeling career that took her from Ljubljana to Milan, Paris, and ultimately New York City.
Meeting Donald Trump
Melania first met Donald Trump in 1998 at a Fashion Week party at the Kit Kat Club in Manhattan, hosted by Italian businessman Paolo Zampolli, who managed her modeling agency.
Although Trump was already with a date, he was captivated by Melania and asked for her number.
According to her best friend, Edit Molnar, Melania was initially uninterested: “She said, ‘He’s here with a woman. I am absolutely not giving him my number.’” She described herself as a “homebody” who rarely partied.
Zampolli confirmed, “She never dated anyone in New York before Donald. She only went to movies by herself and to the gym. She was not a party girl.”
#10year #anniversary 💍 @melaniatrump ❤️ @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/rsa7cLdKrM
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) January 22, 2015
In January 2005, she married Donald in a lavish ceremony at Mar-a-Lago, and the couple welcomed their son, Barron, in 2006.
Alleged Early Loves in Slovenia
Before Donald, Melania reportedly had a few early romances in Slovenia. Peter Butoln claimed to be her first teenage boyfriend while she attended design school in Ljubljana, though a spokesperson later denied he was ever an official boyfriend.
Another name linked to her past is Jure Zorcic, who met her in 1991. He described their first encounter as cinematic — seeing her walking down the street, he turned back to meet her.
They dated for several months, sharing vacations along the Croatian coast, before Melania left Slovenia to pursue modeling in Milan and Paris.
Years later, she unexpectedly ran into him in New York, greeting her former flame in English and explaining she was building a life between New York and Florida.
From Slovenian Roots to Fifth Avenue Royalty
After meeting Donald Trump in 1998, Melania’s life shifted from quiet routines to the public spotlight. Even before Trump’s presidential run, she admired his ambition and intelligence.
In a 1999 ABC News interview, she said, “He would be a great president. He’s very smart… He knows how to do business.”
Her support reflected not just admiration, but her own vision of herself as a strong, independent partner.
Melania’s story is a fascinating journey from a small Slovenian town to the global stage — a life shaped by ambition, early love, and a partnership that would capture worldwide attention.
