It’ll paint an “intimate portrait” of the former first lady.
Melania Trump is known for keeping a low profile, but that’s about to change this fall as she prepares to release her self-titled memoir, Melania.
In a dramatic video posted to X, the former first lady said she felt compelled to set the record straight about the “public scrutiny and misrepresentation” she has faced over the years. Though she doesn’t offer further details, the clip features a black-and-white montage of her time in the White House, family photos, and images of her modeling career.
“Writing this memoir has been a deeply personal and reflective journey for me. As a private person who has often been the subject of public scrutiny and misrepresentation, I feel a responsibility to clarify the facts,” she says. “I believe it is important to share my perspective, the truth.”
Her 256-page memoir will be published by the conservative imprint Skyhorse Publishing, which is behind books by her husband, former President Donald Trump, and former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Meanwhile, her husband plans to release a new book of his own book, Save America. (Though both made their book announcements on the same day, it’s unclear whether they planned this, and neither mentioned the other.)
Naturally, you might be wondering what else Melania’s tell-all entails — so here’s what we know about her highly-anticipated debut.
What’s her memoir about?
In July, the former first lady’s office announced her memoir, describing it as “a powerful and inspiring story of a woman who has carved her own path, overcome adversity and defined personal excellence.” Skyhorse Publishing said the tell-all will also include “stories and images never before shared with the public.”
Melania has been the subject of other books: Her former advisor, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, detailed her time working for her in the 2020 New York Times bestseller, Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady.
But Melania’s upcoming memoir marks the first time she has told her story in her own words. In case you aren’t familiar with her backstory, she was born and raised in Slovenia before moving to the U.S. in 1996 to work as a model. She then met Donald Trump in 1998, and the two married in 2005. Their son, Barron Trump, was born the following year.
When will Melania Trump’s memoir come out?
According to CNBC, her upcoming memoir will be released on Sept. 24, just two months before the presidential election on Nov. 5.
Her office stated in its press release that the memoir will be available in two versions: a $150 collector’s edition with “bonus photographs” and a $40 memoir edition, also listed at $75 for a signed copy from Melania.
Eager to get your hands on one? Both editions are available for pre-order exclusively through the first lady’s website, MelaniaTrump.com. It’s unknown whether they will be available for purchase elsewhere.
Why is she releasing a book now?
It isn’t clear why Melania’s releasing a memoir this year, though it’s timed well to what’s shaping up to be a contentious election.
Despite her husband’s White House ambitions, the 54-year-old former model has long been notoriously private. Ever since Donald Trump announced his presidential campaign in 2016, she has remained an enigmatic figure and largely stayed out of the spotlight, even as her husband seeks a second term.
Though she appeared alongside the former president at last week’s Republican National Convention, she broke with tradition and didn’t give a speech. But she did garner attention after penning a letter following the attempted assassination of her husband at a campaign rally, which she denounced as a “heinous act.”
Since leaving the White House in 2020, Melania has attached her name to various products, including jewelry and multiple lines of non-fungible tokens. But this upcoming book is definitely new territory for the former first lady.
