The conspiracy that U.S. President Donald Trump has replaced his wife Melania with a body double has been around for many years now.
This week, it resurfaced after a group of netizens claimed Trump had brought a fake version of the Slovenian former model to meet the British royals.
The wild theory first emerged in October 2017, when the First Lady was accused of using a “lookalike” to avoid spending time with her husband. That month, Melania was photographed wearing oversized sunglasses that covered much of her face.
Highlights
- The conspiracy that claims Melania Trump has been replaced by a body double resurfaced this week during her and Trump’s UK visit.
- Despite Trump and Melania denying the claim, netizens continue to point to alleged differences in appearance and behavior.
- The theory alleges that Melania dislikes her husband and seeks to avoid spending time with him whenever possible.
The Guardian columnist Marina Hyde has claimed credit for launching the theory, having joked on social media, "Absolutely convinced Melania is being played by a Melania impersonator these days. Theory: she left him weeks ago."
A long-running conspiracy theory claims U.S. First Lady Melania Trump has been replaced by a body double at public appearances
Image credits: Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images
What began as a joke has since turned into a serious belief for many, with some insisting Trump uses a woman who closely resembles Melania to stand in for her at public events.
On Tuesday (September 16), Trump and Melania arrived in the UK for their second state visit. When photos of the couple meeting the royals at Windsor Castle were released, speculation grew that the 55-year-old First Lady was actually relaxing at home in the U.S.
Image credits: The Royal Family Channel
“It's the fake body double Melania. This fake Melania accompanies Trump on various public activities,” one user stated. “Her face is rounder than real Melania & she smiles and holds Don's hand in a way the real Melania never does. That's the reason behind the dark glasses and full length garments.”
"To be fair, Melania cannot stand Trump, so holding the hand of a body double is a piece of cake,” said another conspiracy theorist.
The theory resurfaced this week after photos of Melania with Donald Trump during a UK state visit sparked renewed speculation online
Image credits: The Royal Family Channel
“The minute this ‘Melania’ walked across the White house lawn to get into the helicopter with Trump, it was obvious that they are using a body double again,” a third added. “She was wearing big dark sunglasses but the differences are there-both in facial features & personality.”
“Melania constantly getting away with using a body double will never not be funny to me,” typed someone else.
Image credits: WAAY 31 News
The president dismissed the “body double” allegations as “fake news” in 2019, saying critics were “only getting more deranged with time,” as per the Associated Press.
A spokesperson for Melania also denied the claims during her husband's first term, telling CNN in 2017, "Once again, we find ourselves consumed with a ridiculous non-story when we could be talking about the work the First Lady is doing on behalf of children."
Supporters of the theory argue that “fake Melania” smiles and holds Trump’s hand, while the real one does not, and has slightly different facial features
Still, netizens persisted in their beliefs, even after seeing photos of Melania beside her husband with her face fully visible, such as at yesterday’s banquet with the royals.
The theory was likely fueled by claims made by Trump's former communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, who was fired after less than two weeks in 2017 and alleged that Melania “hated” her husband.
Image credits: The Royal Family Channel
Scaramucci also appeared to suggest the idea of a fake Melania was true. Asked about the conspiracy on Have You Been Paying Attention? he replied, “You know, Michael Cohen, the President’s lawyer, insists that there is a body double and insists that actually her sister sometimes replaces her on the campaign trail.”
Earlier this year, The New York Times published an article titled, A Most Sensitive Subject in the White House: Where is Melania?, reporting that during Trump's first 108 days in office, his wife had spent “less than 14 days” in the White House.
The U.S. President dismissed the claims as “fake news” in 2019, while the First Lady’s spokesperson called them a “ridiculous non-story”
Image credits: The Royal Family Channel
Social media users have claimed that a “fake Melania” accompanied her husband to the 2018 NATO summit in Brussels, the 2020 US presidential debate, and Pope Francis’ funeral, arguing that the First Lady appeared or behaved differently than usual.
Melania isn’t the only public figure targeted by wild conspiracies. Brigitte Macron, the French First Lady and wife of president Emmanuel Macron, has filed a lawsuit against American influencer Candace Owens after she promoted the false claim that Brigitte was a transgender woman.
Image credits: The Royal Family Channel
Brigitte and Macron, who is also a plaintiff in the case, are planning to present photographic and scientific evidence to a U.S. court to prove that she’s a cisgender woman, the BBC reported on Thursday (September 18).
The theory gained traction after former Trump aide Anthony Scaramucci suggested Melania “hated” her husband
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Image credits: Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images
The 72-year-old’s lawyer, Tom Clare, told the outlet that Brigitte found the claims "incredibly upsetting" and described them as a "distraction" for the French president.
“Just like anybody who is juggling a career and a family life as well, when your family is under attack, it wears on you. And he's not immune from that because he's the president of a country," he said.
Image credits: The Royal Family Channel
Clare added that the couple were prepared to demonstrate “generically and specifically" that the allegations are false.
"It is a process that she will have to subject herself to in a very public way. But she's willing to do it. She is firmly resolved to do what it takes to set the record straight.”
Netizens still believe Melania Trump is using a body double since years
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