A week ago Donald Trump revealed that his mother-in-law was “very sick” and Melania was by his side
Former first lady Melania Trump announced this Tuesday on social media that her mother, Amalija Knavs, died at the age of 78 after being ill for the past few days. CBS News reported.
Melania made the announcement Tuesday night on her X account, formerly known as Twitter, saying, “It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija.”
“Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth and dignity. She was entirely devoted to her husband, her daughters, her grandson and her son-in-law. We will miss her beyond measure and continue to honor and love her legacy.”
While Melania did not announce the cause of death, her husband, former US President Donald Trump, previously revealed that Amalija had been hospitalized last week.
Melania had been absent from the Trump family's Christmas festivities.
While acknowledging his wife's absence from Christmas festivities and family gatherings during his New Year's Eve event at Mar-a-Lago, Trump revealed that she was caring for his mother “who is very sick.”
He told guests: “Melania, great First Lady, so popular that people love her, is now in a hospital with her mother. Her mother, Amalija, is very sick, but hopefully she will recover.”
Trump revealed that his mother-in-law is recovering in a Miami hospital and that “it is a very tough situation.”
He also hoped that “he gets better as quickly as possible.”
Amalija Knavs was born in Slovenia in 1945 and welcomed Melanija Knavs with her husband, Viktor, in 1970, when Slovenia was still under communist rule.
Melanija attended high school in Slovenia's capital, Ljubljana, and changed her name to Melania Knauss when she began modeling.
She married then-real estate magnate Donald Trump in 2005 and their son Barron was born in 2006.
Amalija and Viktor became American citizens in 2018, while their son-in-law was president and spent the last few years living at Mar-a-Lago, People reported.
