Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Latest Issue
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Culture

    Donald Trump just broke his silence on the ‘Fake Melania’ conspiracy

    And we don’t know what to think.

    Jenny Proudfoot's avatar
    By Jenny Proudfoot
    Published 15 March 2019 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    melania trump
    (Image credit: Rex)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    And we don’t know what to think.

    Melania Trump is one of the most talked-about people in the world, and from her controversial fashion choices to her rules within the White House walls, she never fails to make viral news.

    Unsurprisingly, the past few months have been no exception.

    From her red gloves baffling the internet and her breaking a New Year tradition to being the subject of a recent sexist joke by her husband Donald Trump, the past few weeks have been all about Melania.

    Melania Trump

    REX
    (Image credit: REX)

    But it isn’t her behaviour that has panicked the public, it’s her lack of it, with members of the public voicing their concern that Melania has been replaced with a ‘fake Melania’.

    You may like
    • Michelle Obama Liffner bag Michelle Obama Just Wore the Sophisticated Bag Brand Every Fashion Insider is Obsessed With
    • A woman stretching, dry brushing, and taking supplements at home Meet the AI Wellness Influencers Making Dubious Health Claims—and What Their Boom Means for Women’s Health
    • NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 10: Anne Hathaway attends Moncler Fifth Avenue Flagship Opening at 767 Fifth Avenue on September 10, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by The Hapa Blonde/GC Images) The “Hot Pregnancy” Era Is Supposedly Empowering. It Just Made Me Feel Worse...

    The conspiracy theory started back in 2017, when viewers didn’t believe that the woman by the President’s side was actually the real First Lady, noticing a difference in her facial features.

    And so began the ‘fake Melania’ conspiracy, with online users speculating that a body double had been recruited to stand by Donald Trump’s side.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    This week, the Fake Melania conspiracy theories returned as viewers didn’t believe that new photos of the First Lady were the real Melania Trump.

    In fact, the speculation grew so loud that the President actually spoke out about them, taking as per usual to his Twitter account.

    ‘The Fake News photoshopped pictures of Melania, then propelled conspiracy theories that it’s actually not her by my side in Alabama and other places,' Trump tweeted. ‘They are only getting more deranged with time!’

    We don’t know what to think.

    Jenny Proudfoot
    Jenny Proudfoot
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Features Editor

    Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

    In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.

    Read more
    Michelle Obama Liffner bag
    Fashion Michelle Obama Just Wore the Sophisticated Bag Brand Every Fashion Insider is Obsessed With
    A woman stretching, dry brushing, and taking supplements at home
    Wellbeing Meet the AI Wellness Influencers Making Dubious Health Claims—and What Their Boom Means for Women’s Health
     
     
    NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 10: Anne Hathaway attends Moncler Fifth Avenue Flagship Opening at 767 Fifth Avenue on September 10, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by The Hapa Blonde/GC Images)
    Life The “Hot Pregnancy” Era Is Supposedly Empowering. It Just Made Me Feel Worse...
    olivia colman on the miu miu runway
    Fashion ‘Older’ Women on the Catwalks is Great, But Do Fashion and Beauty Brands Really Know Who We Are?
     
     
    Latest in Culture
    The best things to do this November
    Culture The Agenda: November Is Looking Good
    Actress Emilia Clarke
    Culture The Anti-Maxxing Issue: Featuring Emilia Clarke, Signature Scents, Practical Styling Tips and So Much More
     
     
    Emilia Clarke
    Culture Emilia Clarke: “That's my goal for the next decade of my life: to take it lightly. But it requires strength.”
    The best things to do this September
    Culture The Agenda: The New-Season Cultural Reset
     
     
    Latest in News
    New Beauty Launches: Burberry Beauty / Mes Beauty / rhute / Jo Loves / Ziip Beauty
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: Jennifer Lawrence’s Unexpected Haircare Launch, Burberry’s Exquisite New Perfumes and Jo Loves Sparks Festive Joy
    New Beauty Launches: Amouage, Haus Labs, XERF
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: Is XERF Worth the Hype? Plus, Amouage’s New Body Collection & The Beauty Beat Returns
     
     
    Jeans And Jackets
    Shopping Celine Dion, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sarah Pidgeon Swear by This Trophy Jacket-and-Jeans Formula for Instant Fashion Confidence
    Next
    Shopping NEXT’s Autumn/Winter 2026 Collection Has Everything We Love About Getting Dressed in the Colder Months
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.