Before becoming America’s First Lady, Melania Trump lived a quiet life in Slovenia. As a teen, she shared a short romance with Peter Butoln, who called her his “first true sweetheart.” Years later, in 1991, another admirer, Jure Zorcic, met her by chance and was instantly captivated—they spent time traveling the Croatian coast before Melania left for Milan and Paris to chase her modeling dreams.
In 1998, at a Fashion Week party in New York, Melania met Donald Trump. Though he attended with another woman, he was fascinated by her. Melania refused to give him her number, but Trump persisted—and soon won her over.
By 2005, they married in a lavish Mar-a-Lago ceremony, welcoming their son Barron the following year. From humble beginnings in Slovenia to life on Fifth Avenue, Melania’s journey from model to First Lady remains one of quiet determination and transformation.
