Julia Davis, founder of the Russia Media Monitor watchdog group, spotlighted the startling broadcast by sharing footage of the segment on X (formerly Twitter). She highlighted the unusual nature of the program, writing: “Meanwhile in Russia: this is how the country’s most-watched state TV channel welcomed Melania Trump’s anticipated return to the White House. Olga Skabeeva is trying not to laugh. This was probably her idea.”
During the segment, Skabeeva struggled to suppress her laughter as co-host Yevgeny Popov narrated Melania Trump’s modeling history. “With Melania Trump’s husband securing victory, she’s preparing to return to the White House,” Popov remarked. “Here’s a glimpse of her 2000 GQ cover shoot.” The future first lady was seen posing atop luxurious furs in a sheer negligee. Inside the magazine spread, sultry iThe video concluded with a link to purchase Melania’s memoir, released on October 8, which promises to unveil “stories and images never before shared with the public.”
This provocative broadcast on Russian state television has reignited heated debates about privacy, public perception, and the complex legacy of Melania Trump’s past—as she prepares to reenter the national spotlight once again.mages showed her near a private plane, and in one striking photo, she reclined on a blue carpet adorned with the U.S. seal, wearing nothing but underwear.
The segment concluded with a montage of Melania Trump’s photographs accompanied by a voice-over that referenced her previous social media posts. “What does ‘my body, my choice’ really mean?” the narrator asked, alluding to a promotional video Melania had shared ahead of her autobiography’s release.
Melania began her modeling career as a teenager after being discovered at 16 by a Slovenian photographer. She soon signed with an Italian agency and went on to build a thriving career, working in fashion capitals like Paris, Milan, and New York throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2000, she made headlines with a nude cover shoot for GQ—images that resurfaced during Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. At the time, GQ’s editor Dylan Jones revealed the magazine was flooded with requests to feature Melania, and that Donald Trump himself had asked for a framed print of the cover to hang in his office.
Melania has consistently stood by her modeling career, including her nude photoshoots. In a video posted last September on X, she confidently defended her work, asking, “Why do I stand proudly behind my nude modeling?” She challenged the media’s tendency to criticize her celebration of the human form in fashion photography, stating, “The real question is, why does the media feel the need to critique my celebration of the human body?” Melania emphasized the importance of appreciating the beauty of the human figure, drawing thoughtful comparisons between her photoshoots and the timeless works of historic artists who honored the human form.
The video concluded with a link to purchase Melania’s memoir, released on October 8, which promises to unveil “stories and images never before shared with the public.”
This provocative broadcast on Russian state television has reignited heated debates about privacy, public perception, and the complex legacy of Melania Trump’s past—as she prepares to reenter the national spotlight once again.
