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Meet First Lady Melania Trump's secret sister, who was last seen 20 years ago
Ines Knauss has purposefully maintained a low profile, but according to reports, she has been there for Melania Trump and her 18-year-old son, Barron.
With Donald Trump's return as US President, focus has shifted back to the first family, including Melania Trump and her close associates. However, one of the lesser-known figures in Melania's life is her 53-year-old sister, Ines Knauss, who remains largely out of the public eye.
She was last seen with Melina in 2005 at a Mar-a-Lago event, and is out of sight for nearly two decades now. She was not also seen at her their mother's funeral in January last year or at Trump's inaugural ceremony 2017, Daily Mail reported.
Ines has purposefully maintained a low profile, but according to reports, she has been there for Melania and her 18-year-old son, Barron, all the time, particularly throughout Trump's meteoric rise to power. "Melania and Ines share a strong bond, and since the passing of their mother, Ines, along with their father, is one of the few people Melania trusts implicitly," a source told the Daily Mail.
Ines Knauss maintains low-profile
Melania has mentioned her low- profile sister in her memoir 'Melania' , which was published in October 2024. The memoir highlights the close bond both the sisters shared. Melania has called her sister as an 'awe-inspiring' person and a guiding light" who had supported them since they were young.
Ines was characterized as “polite” and “mellow” by Ale de Basseville, a French photographer who collaborated with Melania throughout her modeling career. In a 2017 interview with the New York Post, philanthropist Audrey Gruss praised Ines' generosity and inventiveness, describing her as "a lovely person" and "extremely creative."
Former staff member from Trump's first inauguration, Stephanie Winston-Wolkoff , recalled her interaction with Ines by stating, "Even under duress, I couldn’t remember anything about her." She added, "She’s a homebody. She flies under the radar so much that many are unaware that Melania even has a sister.
Ines and Melania bond
Both sisters, Ines and Melania, were raised by their father, Viktor, an auto parts salesman, and mother, Amalija, a patternmaker for a fashion firm, in Sevnica, a tiny Slovenian town by the Sava River. Despite being known for her low-profile status and staying off the radar, Melania has praised her sister for having exceptional communication abilities and an easy way to connect with people.
