Melania Trump Says She's Proud Of Her Past NSFW Modeling Pics (Plug Your Ears, Barron!)

Melania Trump is not ashamed of the NSFW photos she took before she became the first lady of the United States (sorry, Barron). During her modeling days, Melania posed nude for two different magazines, first baring it all in the late '90s for Max Magazine, which hasn't been in circulation for years, then again in 2000 for British GQ. The Max Magazine photos aren't as widely available as her photoshoot from British GQ, partially because the latter is still operational, and also, the second shoot featured some pretty memorable props, including a fake gun, a trunk full of shiny treasures, and Donald Trump's actual jet.

While the photos did wonders for pushing Melania's image as a model, the body-baring images, recirculated in 2016, were used to condemn her fitness for taking on the modest mantle of the first lady. However, Melania isn't ashamed of her controversial fashion moment. In her latest bid to promote her book "Melania," the former first lady addressed the barrage of negativity revolving around her decision. "Why do I stand proudly behind my nude modeling work?" asked Melania in a video uploaded to X, formerly known as Twitter. "The more pressing question is, why has the media chosen to scrutinize my celebration of the human form in a fashion photo shoot?" She continued, "We should honor our bodies and embrace the timeless tradition of using art as a powerful means of self-expression."

But this isn't all Melania has expressed about her nude photos.

Despite the mounds of criticism she has gotten for her nude photoshoot, Melania Trump doesn't see them as one of her dark secrets. However, her video, which featured imagery of famous nude artwork and sculptures through history, including Michelangelo's David statue, isn't the only indicator that she is proud of her past work. As British GQ pointed out in 2017, Melania credited landing the outlet as one of her career highs on her White House bio page, which means she obviously wasn't trying to bury the photoshoot. And while the page no longer reflects those points, British GQ noted that Melania also listed several other publications, including "Harper's Bazaar," "New York Magazine," and "Vogue."

But what does Donald Trump think of Melania's nude photos? Unsurprisingly, he approves. While speaking with the New York Post in 2016, Donald said, "Melania was one of the most successful models and she did many photo shoots, including for covers and major magazines" (via The Hollywood Reporter). He continued, "This was a picture taken for a European magazine prior to my knowing Melania. In Europe, pictures like this are very fashionable and common." Meanwhile, Jason Miller, Donald's senior communications adviser agreed with his boss in a statement of support for Melania. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. She's a beautiful woman," he said, adding on CNN, "These were photos that are 20 years old, before Mrs. Trump met Mr. Trump."