Rumors of a Melania and Trump Separation Are Always in the Mix — Here's Why

In her memoir, First Lady Melania Trump wrote that she met Donald Trump in September 1998. She had just returned from a "whirlwind trip to Paris" and was relaxing in her New York City apartment when a friend called. "My boyfriend is throwing a party at the Kit Kat Klub tomorrow night,” said the friend. “Please come. We haven’t seen each other in so long." Despite being exhausted from jet lag, Melania decided a night out with friends was exactly what she needed.

By her own admission, Melania is not a club person, but she found herself at just such an establishment during New York's Fashion Week. Suddenly, there he was. "Hi, I'm Donald Trump," he said when she sat down. Melania found the future president easygoing and charming. They got married nearly seven years later. Since then, Melania has become First Lady twice. The couple is often photographed together looking a bit strained. There are often rumors that they have separated. Here's what we know.

Trump biographer Michael Wolff, who interviewed Jeffrey Epstein for his book about the president's first administration, has made some wild claims about Melania and her husband. According to the Independent, there were reports that Melania hadn't spent more than two nights at the White House five months into Trump's second term. Wolff had a theory about that.

While guesting on The Daily Beast Podcast in May 2025, Wolff said Melania and Trump live "separate lives," adding that they are separated. When asked by host Joanna Coles about Melania's involvement in her husband's second term, Wolff said, "They clearly do not in any way inhabit a marriage as we define marriage."

In response to Wolff's comments, White House communications director Steven Cheung called the author an "imbecile of the highest order" whose "Trump Derangement Syndrome-addled brain has caused him to lead a miserable existence devoid of reality."

The offices of the First Lady were once in the East Wing of the White House, but Trump demolished that in October 2025. If Melania is doing any work in the people's house, it's unclear where that's happening. Ahead of the 2025 inauguration, Melania sat down with Fox & Friends and spoke to host Ainsley Earhardt, who asked about Melania's second time in the White House.

When asked where she would spend most of her time, Melania gave a rather vague answer. "I will be in the White House," she said. "And, you know, when I need to be in New York, I will be in New York. When I need to be in Palm Beach, I will be in Palm Beach." Melania didn't explain which of these places would be her primary residence. She did say her priority was to be a mother to Barron, who is legally an adult.

Speaking of living situations, when the President and First Lady visited England in September 2025, they reportedly did something rather unorthodox. Palace sources told The Daily Mail, as reported by The Mercury News, that Trump and Melania slept in separate rooms while staying at Windsor Castle. They evidently brought their own sheets.