Amalija Knavs, the mother of former first lady Melania Trump, has died at the age of 78.
The former first lady announced the news of her mother’s passing on the social media platform X on Tuesday night. She did not give a cause of death.
“It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija. Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity,” Melania Trump posted to her X account, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
“She was entirely devoted to her husband, daughters, grandson, and son-in-law. We will miss her beyond measure and continue to honor and love her legacy,” she added.
It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija.
Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity. She was entirely devoted to her husband, daughters, grandson, and son-in-law. We will miss her beyond…
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) January 10, 2024
According to CBS News, Knavs was born in Slovenia in 1945 when it was under Communist rule. She married her husband, Viktor, in 1970.
“Melanija attended high school in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, and changed her name to Melania Knauss when she started modeling,” it added. “She married then-real estate mogul Donald Trump in 2005, and their son Barron was born in 2006.”
Both Knavs and Viktor became U.S. citizens in 2018 and reportedly spent the last few years living at Mar-a-Lago.
As Breitbart News reported, the media incorrectly speculated as to why Melania Trump had not been present with her husband, Donald, during Christmas celebrations. It was later revealed she had been caring for her ailing mother.
“Former first lady Melania Trump was with her ailing mother on Christmas, solving the mystery of her lack of appearance in a Christmas photo featuring members of the Trump family,” said the report.
“The establishment media and anti-Trumpers were thirsty for a family scandal when they noticed that Melania was not included in the Trump family Christmas photos. Some of them claimed this was further proof that Melania is unhappy with Trump and leaving his side,” it added.
