Melania Trump's Father Viktor Knavs Can't Evade Paternity Scandal He Denied Despite Evidence

The Trump family, along with those who are connected to them, often find themselves under intense public scrutiny. This means that no skeletons remain in the closets. The long-running paternity scandal involving Melania Trump's father, Viktor Knavs, is one such example. It revolves around Denis Cigelnjak, Melania's alleged half-brother from Viktor's previous relationship. Although Viktor denied his paternity, a DNA test confirmed otherwise, as per Nicki Swift. Viktor was also legally obligated to pay child support to the boy's mother until he turned 18.

However, Viktor was not in touch with Denis. Before marrying Melania’s mother, Amalija Knavs, he dated a woman named Marija Cigelnjak. In September 1964, Marija informed him that she was expecting a baby. Initially, Viktor thought of marrying her but soon allegedly started pressuring her for an abortion; he also apparently claimed that the child wasn’t his. Even after Denis was born in 1965, Viktor continued to deny being the father, leading the court to order a blood test. Surprisingly, the court ruled that Viktor was indeed the boy’s biological father. 

Denis has also shared that his mother never married anyone else and never had other children. He further claimed that he has no memory of ever meeting his father. Despite the court’s findings, Viktor continued to deny his paternity. Denis once said, "It was my mother's father who supported me for 18 years as my own father repeatedly forgot to pay... I wonder how anyone can deny their own child." Then, talking about Melania, he said, "I am happy for her. I am happy for everyone in her family."

Meanwhile, during an interview with a GQ reporter, Melania, too, denied having any knowledge of the situation. However, when presented with the court documents, Melania stated that she hadn’t understood the question. She eventually said, “I’ve known about this for years. My father is a private individual. Please respect his privacy.” She later trashed the GQ article, opining, "The article published in GQ today is yet another example of the dishonest media and their disingenuous reporting."

As reported by CBS News, the former FLOTUS continued, "There are numerous inaccuracies in this article including certain statements about my family and claims on personal matters." She stressed, "My parents are private citizens and should not be subject to Ms. Ioffe's [the journalist] unfair scrutiny." 

On the other hand, the writer of the GQ article, Julia Ioffe, said, "I think she's understandably upset that some dirty laundry came out. But I did my job." Ioffe stood by her reporting with confidence but expressed regret if it caused any unease for Melania and her family. "It wasn't my intention to do that. But her husband is running for president...she is now a public person," Ioffe remarked. She continued, "The rumors have been circulating around Slovenia. If it wasn't me, somebody else would have reported it."