Former first lady Melania Trump posted a new video on social media Wednesday defending her previous nude modelling work as she promoted her new book.
鈥淲hy do I stand proudly behind my nude modelling work? The more pressing question is: Why has the media chosen to scrutinize my celebration of the human form in a fashion photo shoot?鈥 she said in the video posted on X.
The former first lady added: 鈥淎re we no longer able to appreciate the beauty of the human body? Throughout history, master artists have revered the human shape, evoking profound emotions and admiration.鈥
鈥淲e should honor our bodies and embrace the timeless tradition of using art as a powerful means of self expression,鈥 she said.
A spokesperson for the former first lady did not immediately respond to questions about what media scrutiny Melania Trump was referring to or whether the photographs had received recent attention.
The former first lady鈥檚 forthcoming memoir, titled 鈥淢elania,鈥 is set to hit shelves in October, according to Skyhorse Publishing. Her office, when announcing the book, described it as 鈥渁 powerful and inspiring story of a woman who has carved her own path, overcome adversity and defined personal excellence.鈥
Melania Trump鈥檚 history of nude modelling was highlighted in the 2016 campaign, when the New York Post published several nude photos 鈥 which were reportedly taken in 1995 and appeared in a now-defunct French men鈥檚 magazine 鈥 that had not previously been published online. The headline on its cover was 鈥淭he Ogle Office.鈥
At the time, Donald Trump told the newspaper that the photographs were taken for a European magazine before the two knew each other and that 鈥減ictures like this are very fashionable and common.鈥
A 2000 British GQ cover in which the Slovenian-born Melania Trump was photographed nude on Trump鈥檚 plane also resurfaced during that campaign. A year after that photo shoot鈥檚 publication, the former first lady got legal residency in the United States, receiving a green card under the elite EB-1 program, The Washington Post .
The former president and first lady were married in 2005. Donald Trump鈥檚 two prior marriages were also to models: Ivana Zeln铆膷kov谩 and Marla Maples. His numerous business ventures also included a modelling agency called Trump Model Management; it was closed shortly after he took office in 2017.
Melania Trump has maintained a low profile throughout her husband鈥檚 2024 presidential campaign, making only a handful of public appearances since the former president launched his third White House bid: his campaign kickoff in November 2022 at their Mar-a-Lago home, a brief appearance in March when she accompanied him to vote in the Florida presidential primary and her attendance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this summer.
In July, she released a letter following the assassination attempt on her husband at a Pennsylvania rally, thanking Secret Service agents and law enforcement officials for protecting the former president and saying that she was thinking of her 鈥渇ellow Americans鈥 in the wake of the shooting.
Earlier this month, the former first lady appeared to be inching further into the political spotlight in the final few months of the 2024 presidential campaign, releasing a series of politically pointed social media videos.
Trump campaign advisers and close allies have said that the former first lady is supportive of her husband and his political ambitions and that she has been focused on raising their son, Barron. They added that she is very selective in choosing her political appearances.
Melania Trump has appeared infrequently at private events this year, including hosting a fundraiser for a conservative LGBTQ group, the Log Cabin Republicans, at her residence at Trump Tower in New York on July 8, as well as attending an April fundraiser alongside her husband at the home of investor John Paulson.
CNN鈥檚 Jackie Wattles contributed to this report.