The upcoming release of Melania Trump's documentary on Amazon has set the rumour mills abuzz once again, primarily due to one glaring omission: her stepdaughter, Ivanka Trump. The film, titled 'Melania' and scheduled for release on January 30, makes no appearance of the former President's eldest daughter, leading to renewed speculation about the nature of their relationship.
Intentional Exclusion Points to Deeper Tensions
Media observers and sources close to the project have confirmed that Ivanka Trump's absence from the documentary is not a mere oversight. According to reports on Rob Shuter’s Substack, insiders familiar with the film's production stated the exclusion was deliberate. "Melania and Ivanka do not get along–not at all," one source revealed, adding that there is "real tension" between the two.
The source further claimed that Melania Trump herself made it explicitly clear that she did not want Ivanka featured in the project. "There’s zero love lost," the insider continued, emphasising that "Ivanka’s absence is intentional." Neither Melania, now 55, nor Ivanka, 44, has publicly addressed these specific claims, but the documentary's edit has undoubtedly reopened old questions about their dynamic.
A History of Reported Friction and White House Clashes
Reports of a strained relationship between the two women are not new and date back to Donald Trump's first term in office. The alleged friction, often centred on influence and visibility within the political sphere, was detailed in journalist Mary Jordan’s 2020 biography, 'The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump'.
The book highlighted subtle yet telling signs of their rivalry, including private nicknames they held for each other. According to Jordan, Ivanka reportedly referred to her stepmother as "The Portrait," while Melania called Ivanka "The Princess."
Tensions reportedly escalated early in the Trump administration. For the first several months of 2017, Melania and her son Barron remained in New York. In her absence, Ivanka, who served as a senior adviser to her father, assumed a more prominent role in the White House.
Jordan's book notes that Ivanka attempted to rebrand the Office of the First Lady as the "First Family’s Office" and had access to the White House residence before Melania's arrival. "With Melania away, Ivanka used the private theater... Some said she treated the private residence as if it were her own home. Melania did not like it," Jordan wrote.
Insider Accounts Paint a Picture of Lasting Resentment
Further context comes from Melania’s former adviser, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, in her 2020 book 'Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady'. Wolkoff described Ivanka rushing to fill the void as an "acting" First Lady, engaging heavily on social media, pressing her father on policy issues, and attending numerous meetings.
This account reinforced the narrative that a resentment developed between the two during those early days and has persisted over time. The deliberate editing choice in Melania's forthcoming documentary suggests that these historical tensions remain unresolved, offering the public a silent but powerful statement on their relationship.
The documentary's release is now awaited not just for its portrayal of the former First Lady's life, but also for the conversations its omissions will inevitably spark about one of America's most scrutinised families.
