Melania Trump was nowhere to be found during Donald Trump‘s state visit to China earlier this month; but that’s not the only thing she missed recently. The First Lady was also noticeably absent from another big event… her stepson’s wedding!
Donald Trump Jr. married Bettina Anderson in an intimate wedding ceremony on a private island in Exuma, Bahamas on May 23rd. The couple reportedly had around 50 guests, but the First Lady was not among them – and neither was her husband or their son, Barron Trump. Keep reading to find out more…
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Melania Trump Skips Donald Trump Jr. And Bettina Anderson's Wedding In The Bahamas
Ahead of the wedding, which took place over Memorial Day weekend, President Trump took to social media to explain that government responsibilities required him to remain in Washington, D.C., so he was therefore unable to attend.
"While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump family, his soon-to-be wife, Bettina, circumstances pertaining to government, and my love for the United States of America, do not allow me to do so," he wrote, and concluded his message by congratulating the couple.
Despite being absent at the Bahamas wedding, the POTUS and First Lady are still expected to attend a larger celebration the couple plans to hold at the White House later this year.
Melania, on the other hand, didn't give an official reason for her absence, although insiders believe she refused to go because she doesn't want to associate too much with her husband's older children. A source claimed to Rob Shuter in his Naughty But Nice Substack: "Melania did not want to spend a full weekend with Donald's adult children from previous marriages."
Melania was also absent from Anderson's bridal shower at Mar-a-Lago back in April. Shuter's source reportedly added: "That tension has existed for years, even if nobody says it publicly." Yikes!
Past Signs Of Tension Within The Family
It's long been reported that Melania sees herself in direct comparison with her husband's eldest daughter Ivanka Trump, with the two competing with each other for First Lady duties during Trump's first presidency. Melania has seemingly handled this in her own way over the years, and recently reportedly banned her step-daughter from her Melania documentary premiere, as she didn't want to share the spotlight.
It was also reported earlier this year that Melania banned Trump's older children – Don Jr., Ivanka, Eric Trump and Tiffany Trump – from son Barron's 19th birthday party. The claim was that the stepsiblings don't really have much in common or see each other often, but it may be deeper than that!
An insider reportedly said: "Barron grew up in a completely different world from Don Jr., Eric, Ivanka, and Tiffany. There's emotional distance there, and everyone in the family knows it."
