Melania Trump expresses her pride in her past endeavor as a model, specifically referencing her nude photoshoots.
"Why do I stand confident about my naked modeling jobs' showcase? It's more fascinating to wonder: Why is the media fixated on critiquing my embracement of the human form through a fashion photoshoot?" she stated in the posted video on X.
Her former first lady self went on to say: "Have we lost the ability to admire the human body's attractiveness? Artists through history have esteemed and been moved by the human figure, eliciting deep feelings and awe."
"Let's respect our bodies and uphold the traditional art form of using our craft as a potent means of self-expression," she concluded.
A representative for the former first lady didn't promptly respond to inquiries regarding which media scrutiny Melania Trump referred to or if the photographs had recently received attention.
Melania Trump's upcoming memoir, titled "Melania," is set to be on shelves in October, as per Skyhorse Publishing. Her office described the book as a "powerful and inspiring tale of a woman who forged her own path, overcame hardships, and symbolized personal achievement."
Melania Trump's nude modeling was spotlighted during the 2016 campaign, with the New York Post publishing a series of nude photos – believed to have been taken in 1995 and published in a now-defunct French men's magazine – that hadn't been previously online. The magazine's cover headline was "The Ogle Office."
At the time, Donald Trump told the newspaper that the photos were taken for a European magazine before they were acquainted, and that "such photographs are highly fashionable and common."
A 2000 British GQ cover, featuring Melania Trump photographed naked on Trump's plane, also resurfaced during that campaign. A year following its publication, the former first lady obtained legal residency in the United States, receiving a green card under the prestigious EB-1 program, as reported by The Washington Post.
The former president and first lady were married in 2005. Donald Trump's two prior marriages were also to models: Ivana Zelničková and Marla Maples. His numerous business ventures also included a modeling agency called Trump Model Management; it ceased operations shortly after he assumed office in 2017.
Melania Trump has maintained a low profile throughout her husband's 2024 presidential campaign, making just a few public appearances since the former president announced his White House bid in November 2022: his campaign kickoff at their Mar-a-Lago home, a brief appearance when she accompanied him to vote in the Florida primary, and her attendance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this summer.
In July, she released a statement following the assassination attempt on her husband at a Pennsylvania rally, thanking Secret Service agents and law enforcement officials for protecting the former president and expressing concern for her "fellow Americans" after the shooting.
Earlier this month, the former first lady seemed to be moving closer to the political limelight in the final months of the 2024 presidential campaign, publishing a series of politically-charged social media videos.
Trump campaign advisors and close allies have stated that the former first lady supports her husband and his political objectives, and that she has been concentrating on raising their son, Barron. They also mentioned that she chooses her political appearances carefully.
Melania Trump has appeared sparingly at private events this year, including hosting a fundraiser for a conservative LGBTQ group, the Log Cabin Republicans, at her Trump Tower residence in New York on July 8, as well as attending an April fundraiser alongside her husband at the home of investor John Paulson.
CNN’s Jackie Wattles contributed to this report.
In response to the media's focus on her past modeling jobs, Melania Trump questioned if society has lost its appreciation for the human body's beauty. During her husband's 2016 presidential campaign, Melania's nude modeling photos were widely discussed in media outlets.
