A former close friend of Melania Trump has claimed that her marriage to Donald Trump is more of a "transactional deal" than a love story. According to Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former Vogue magazine executive and long-time confidante of the former First Lady, their relationship was built on mutual benefits rather than romance.
Winston Wolkoff, who was friends with Melania for 15 years before their falling out, suggested in a BBC interview that their marriage was strategically beneficial for both parties.
“I do believe it’s a transactional marriage. Donald got arm candy,” she said. “Melania got two dynamic decades. She was a young model without much success. She met Donald, married him, became a U.S. citizen, had a son, and a decade later, she was the First Lady of the United States.”
She added that their relationship had elements of both a "magic moment" and a "made-for-TV moment," implying that their public image played a major role in their union.
These claims come amid the release of Winston Wolkoff’s controversial book, "Melania & Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with The First Lady," published on September 1. As the first book written by someone from Melania’s inner circle, it provides behind-the-scenes insights into the Trumps’ marriage, White House dynamics, and Melania’s personal struggles.
The book alleges that:
Melania had a long-standing rivalry with Ivanka Trump behind closed doors.
She used a private email account—despite Donald Trump attacking Hillary Clinton for the same practice during the 2016 campaign.
She once requested to be listed as “First Lady-Elect” on the inauguration program, despite not being elected to office.
Melania’s Past and Rise to First Lady
According to excerpts from the book published in New York Magazine’s Intelligencer section, Melania’s journey to the White House was far from glamorous in the beginning.
"Twenty years ago, she was a struggling model in Paris. Thirty years ago, she was living in Communist Slovenia," Winston Wolkoff wrote.
Her marriage to Donald Trump in January 2005 in Palm Beach, Florida, changed everything. Over the years, she transformed from a foreign model into a U.S. citizen, a mother, and eventually, the First Lady of the United States.
Inauguration Scandal and Fallout
Winston Wolkoff’s fallout with Melania stemmed from the controversial $107 million spent on Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration—twice the cost of Barack Obama’s ceremony. Allegations of financial mismanagement led to a federal investigation, with Winston Wolkoff claiming she was unfairly scapegoated by the Trump administration.
She also revealed that she secretly recorded her conversations with Melania, reportedly capturing the First Lady criticizing Donald Trump and other members of his family.
White House Pushback
Melania Trump’s team has strongly dismissed the claims made in the book. Stephanie Grisham, Melania’s spokeswoman and chief of staff, released a statement condemning Winston Wolkoff’s actions.
“Anybody who secretly records their so-called best friend is, by definition, dishonest,” Grisham stated. “The book is full of mistruths, paranoia, and an imagined need for revenge.”
Despite the controversy, the Trumps continue to present a united front in public, leaving many to speculate about the true nature of their relationship—a love story or a strategic partnership?
