When Melania ‘Looked Really Thin, Tired, and Sad’ After Trump’s Infamous Hollywood Access Tapes

The release of the infamous Access Hollywood tapes in October 2016 sent shockwaves through the political landscape, particularly affecting Melania Trump, who was thrust into an uncomfortable spotlight. The tapes, which featured Donald Trump making lewd and derogatory comments about women, sparked a firestorm of controversy just weeks before the presidential election. Trump dismissed the comments as ‘locker-room talk,’ but the damage had already been done.

In the aftermath of the tape’s release, Melania was notably absent from the campaign trail. Reports emerged that “she looked really thin, tired, and sad,” and “nobody was talking to her...nobody knew what to say.” According to sources close to the Trumps, Melania was deeply upset by the tapes, and her dismay was palpable to those around her. In the days following the scandal, she was reportedly isolated, with few people in her inner circle offering support. She had always been a private person, but the release of the clips left her even more withdrawn. As the campaign continued, she faced immense pressure to publicly defend her husband, as reported by Vanity Fair.

On October 17, 2016, Melania appeared on CNN and remarked, “I believe my husband. I believe my husband. This was all organized by the opposition. And with the details…did they ever check the background of these women? They don’t have any facts. No. No, that’s why I was surprised because I said like, 'I don’t know that person that would talk that way, and that he would say that kind of stuff in private.' I heard many different stuff – boys talk. The boys, the way they talk when they grow up and they want to sometimes show each other, ‘Oh, this and that’ and talking about the girls. But yes, I was surprised, of course.”

As per CNN, she added, “I said to my husband that, you know, the language was inappropriate. It’s not acceptable. And I was surprised because that was not the man that I knew. And as you can see from the tape, the cameras were not on – it was only a mic. And I wonder if they even knew that the mic was on.” Melania’s discomfort with the campaign had been building long before the release of the same. She had never been enthusiastic about her husband’s run for office. An insider revealed, “She never wanted this, and never had any interest.” 

Unlike other political spouses, she rarely appeared at rallies or gave speeches, preferring to stay home with their son, Barron Trump. A source explained, “Melania’s main job is taking care of Barron, and I think she may follow him wherever he goes to school. Barron is shy and reserved, and she has been a good mother to him all of these years. Melania is all about Barron and her family. She has always been family-oriented, and in addition to some of the charity work she has done, staying ahead of family issues is her priority. She has a good life.”