Former First Lady Melania Trump revealed in her self-titled memoir details about her modeling career, and described how a company tried to “steal” from her during a talent competition.
The 256 page “coffee table memoir” was released on October 8, debuting at the top of the New York Times Bestseller list in the nonfiction category, and was best known for her surprising pro-choice stance on abortion.
The memoir also contained what Variety described as “occasional flashes of insight,” despite the mostly withholding nature of the book’s surface-level content. One of those flashes occurred as Mrs. Trump recalled an interaction during a modeling competition that stuck with her for the rest of her life.
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The 54-year-old opened up about her former modeling career, noting that she had dreams of becoming an architect, despite having an interest in fashion.
What started as a hobby turned into a career, and led her to meet her future husband and former President of the United States, Donald Trump.
She described an incident that happened early in her career that instilled a value of honesty and trustworthiness that she would carry with her for the rest of her life.
She recounted how an Italian movie producer invited her to participate in a modeling contest in Italy that was seeking to discover a “new face for the movies.” The contest was hosted by Cinecittà, a European film studio, and promised the winner a cash prize and a role in an upcoming movie.
Melania described feeling “a sense of calm confidence” as she hit the runway, feeling sure that her “elegance and poise” would convey her “authenticity” and make her stand out among the other contestants.
As it turns out, she won the competition. She was then given an envelope containing the prize money, which she handed over to an event organizer for safe keeping. Only to find that when she was given back her belongings, the envelope was missing.
When she inquired about the missing money, she was met with “confusion and ignorance,” leaving her with a deep sense of “betrayal.” The theft taught her a valuable lesson about who she can and cannot trust, as well as what her values are, drawing a line in the sand about what she is willing to put up with.
A week later, an organizer for the studio contacted her, inviting her to collaborate again. “My answer was a resounding no,” she wrote. “I had no desire to associate with individuals of such a deceitful nature.” While the opportunity may have opened more doors for her, Melania stuck to her guns and rejected the invitation on principle.
“Dishonesty,” she said, “has no place” in her life and “never will.”
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