From Fashion Week to the White House: Donald & Melania Trump’s First Meeting, Breakup, and $2M Proposal

Their love story began in 1998 at a Fashion Week party in New York, where Slovenian model Melania Knauss met businessman Donald Trump. At the time, Donald was 52, newly separated, and attending with another date. Still, he was instantly drawn to Melania. When he asked for her number, she refused and cleverly told him to give her his instead. To her surprise, Donald handed over every number he had, and after a week, Melania finally called.

She wasn’t starstruck, and that confidence intrigued him. Donald later joked that he was supposed to meet someone else that night but quickly shifted his attention when he saw Melania.

Their relationship wasn’t without its struggles. In 2000, they briefly split, with Donald publicly confirming the breakup. Friends revealed that Melania had trust issues early on and even kept her own apartment. Yet, within six months, they reconciled and grew stronger.

By 2004, Donald decided to propose. At the glamorous Met Gala, he presented Melania with a stunning 12-carat, emerald-cut diamond ring worth $2 million. Melania was thrilled, calling it a complete surprise, while Donald described the moment casually: “We just got along. I said, ‘You know what, it’s time.’”

The two married in 2005 at Mar-a-Lago in a lavish wedding, with Melania wearing a Dior gown that took over 1,000 hours to make. She proudly took Donald’s last name, saying she was traditional that way, and her parents embraced him warmly.

In 2006, they welcomed their son, Barron William Trump, whose nursery took up an entire floor of their New York home—complete with a kitchen, living space, and rooms for his nanny and mother. Donald praised Melania’s devotion to motherhood, hinting that more children would be welcome.

From a chance encounter at a Manhattan party to a high-profile proposal under the Met Gala lights, Donald and Melania’s relationship grew into a marriage that blended glamour, resilience, and family.