UK The Times Reports Excerpts from Memoir
Melania (54), the spouse of Donald Trump (78), the President-elect of the United States, revealed the story of her first meeting with Trump in her memoir.
On the 13th (local time), the British daily The Times reported an excerpt from Melania's recently published memoir under the title "Melania Trump: The Day I Met Donald."
Former President Donald Trump (left in the photo) is conversing with Mrs. Melania at a dinner event held in New York City. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency
Melania recalled that when her romantic relationship with Trump, a businessman 24 years her senior, became known during her 20s as a model, the public's view was not favorable to the extent that she was mocked as a "gold digger," a slang term referring to a woman who pursues men for money. The term "gold digger" can be roughly translated into Korean slang as "kkotbaem" (꽃뱀).
Melania wrote, "I was already a successful model, earning money, and if I wanted, I could easily attract the attention of many celebrities. I met many people who believed they knew my life completely because I was a model, but meeting Donald took this to an extreme." She added, "Soon we attended high-profile events like the Grammys and the Academy Awards, and wherever we went, people tried to find out every detail about our relationship. Sometimes I felt proud of the media attention, and other times it was annoying."
Melania also shared the story of her first meeting with Trump. They first met at a party held at a club in September 1998. At that time, Melania was 26 years old and had been working as a model in Europe before moving to New York to pursue her career in the United States.
Melania recalled meeting Trump, who had come with a beautiful blonde woman, greeting him, and starting a conversation. "He focused on our conversation and made me feel like I was the center of his world. I was drawn to his magnetic energy," she said.
When Trump's companion briefly left, he asked Melania for her phone number. Melania wrote, "I politely declined. He was a bit surprised. Then I said, 'Give me your number.' " The next day, while packing for a shoot, she kept thinking about Trump's sophisticated appearance and witty jokes, and after returning from her trip, she called Trump's number and left a voicemail.
That evening, Trump called and said, "Why didn't you call earlier? I had another party and wanted to take you there." Melania playfully replied, "You must have had some other great date."
Afterward, Trump took Melania to his property in Bedford, New York, showing her around and explaining his plans to turn it into a golf course. Melania said, "Looking back, it was a very Donald-like first date, a mix of business and pleasure." At that time, Trump was in the process of divorcing his second wife.
Melania wrote, "At 52, he was a bit older than me, but at 28, I felt connected to him. He was successful, hardworking, realistic, and genuine."
Meanwhile, Melania and Trump married in 2005 and had a son, Barron, the following year.
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