section_path: Marriage and family/Relationship with Donald Trump
section_name: Relationship with Donald Trump
paragraph_text: Relationship with Donald Trump
  
  Donald's fame and connections gave her new career opportunities. Shortly after the death of Jacqueline Kennedy, whom Melania and her mother had deeply admired, Melania met the Kennedy family at a gala. She continued to encounter celebrities while attending events with Donald.
  
  Melania continued her modeling career after meeting Donald, though she took fewer jobs as time went on and she dedicated more time to him. In 1999, the couple gained attention after an interview with shock jock Howard Stern on his show, in which he asked them lewd sexual questions. Donald often brought Melania to meetings to show her off, praising her beauty. He did not let her participate in the business, citing the conflict he had with his first wife after giving her an executive role.
  
  Donald announced his candidacy for the Reform Party presidential nomination on October 7, 1999. Melania adamantly supported the move. When asked by The New York Times what her role would be if Donald were to become president, Melania replied: "I would be very traditional, like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy." Melania saw extensive media attention as tabloids considered the idea of a model as first lady.
  
  Melania was one of the first models recruited to Donald's modeling agency, Trump Model Management, after its creation in February 1999. The following months, she appeared in several magazines and advertisements organized by individuals close to Donald. While Donald was organizing his campaign, Melania appeared in the February edition of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The image featured her in a bikini alongside a large inflatable whale, and the shoot was run by Antoine Verglas, an associate of Zampolli's. Shortly after the shoot, Verglas called Melania back for another project where he had her pose nude in a Bond girl aesthetic. Melania later said that she stood 'proudly behind nude modeling work' in a post on X in September of 2024. Donald had lobbied for her inclusion in a GQ spread, and her relationship with Donald allowed the shoot access to his Boeing 727. Images from the shoot were featured in the January 2000 edition of GQ magazine. At the time, Donald's involvement was not made known. She then appeared in another sexualized photo shoot where she was posted in a mock-up of the Oval Office.
  
  In January 2000, news broke that Melania and Donald had broken up, with conflicting accounts of who ended the relationship. Many photos and publicity pieces the two had done together were quickly edited before publication to accommodate the change. They kept in contact, and they reunited a few months later. Melania received her green card in 2001, granting her permanent residency in the United States. Melania and Donald moved in together at Trump Tower in 2002. She made her first appearance on Donald's game show The Apprentice in April 2004 when an episode had the contestants visit their penthouse.
  
  Donald's fame and connections gave her new career opportunities. Shortly after the death of Jacqueline Kennedy, whom Melania and her mother had deeply admired, Melania met the Kennedy family at a gala. She continued to encounter celebrities while attending events with Donald.
  
  Melania continued her modeling career after meeting Donald, though she took fewer jobs as time went on and she dedicated more time to him. In 1999, the couple gained attention after an interview with shock jock Howard Stern on his show, in which he asked them lewd sexual questions. Donald often brought Melania to meetings to show her off, praising her beauty. He did not let her participate in the business, citing the conflict he had with his first wife after giving her an executive role.
  
  Donald announced his candidacy for the Reform Party presidential nomination on October 7, 1999. Melania adamantly supported the move. When asked by The New York Times what her role would be if Donald were to become president, Melania replied: "I would be very traditional, like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy." Melania saw extensive media attention as tabloids considered the idea of a model as first lady.
  
  Melania was one of the first models recruited to Donald's modeling agency, Trump Model Management, after its creation in February 1999. The following months, she appeared in several magazines and advertisements organized by individuals close to Donald. While Donald was organizing his campaign, Melania appeared in the February edition of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The image featured her in a bikini alongside a large inflatable whale, and the shoot was run by Antoine Verglas, an associate of Zampolli's. Shortly after the shoot, Verglas called Melania back for another project where he had her pose nude in a Bond girl aesthetic. Melania later said that she stood 'proudly behind nude modeling work' in a post on X in September of 2024. Donald had lobbied for her inclusion in a GQ spread, and her relationship with Donald allowed the shoot access to his Boeing 727. Images from the shoot were featured in the January 2000 edition of GQ magazine. At the time, Donald's involvement was not made known. She then appeared in another sexualized photo shoot where she was posted in a mock-up of the Oval Office.
  
  In January 2000, news broke that Melania and Donald had broken up, with conflicting accounts of who ended the relationship. Many photos and publicity pieces the two had done together were quickly edited before publication to accommodate the change. They kept in contact, and they reunited a few months later. Melania received her green card in 2001, granting her permanent residency in the United States. Melania and Donald moved in together at Trump Tower in 2002. She made her first appearance on Donald's game show The Apprentice in April 2004 when an episode had the contestants visit their penthouse.