Inside life of Melania Trump's rarely seen sister who hasn't been spotted in 20 years

The 55-year-old sister of the First Lady, Ines Knaus, has spent two decades dodging the press and hasn't been seen in public since 2005, despite being described as 'awe-inspiring' by her sibling

09:00 ET, Sat, Jun 14, 2025

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As Donald Trump continues his second presidency and Melania Trump gets comfortable as First Lady again, one family member remains particularly elusive.

Ines Knauss, Melania Trump's 55-year-old sister, hasn't been photographed in two decades—not even at their mother's funeral or at her brother-in-law's first or second inaugurations.

The most recent public photos of her date back to an event at the Trumps' Mar-a-Lago estate in February 2005.

Despite her preference for privacy, insiders say Ines has been a pillar of support for Melania and her son, 18-year-old Barron, throughout Trump's rapid political ascent.

"Melania and Ines are very close, and since Melania's mother died, Ines and their father are probably the two people Melania trusts the most," a source told the Daily Mail.

Melania's sister hasn't been photographed since 2005

Melania's sister hasn't been photographed since 2005 (Image: Getty)

Ines couldn't completely avoid media attention after she was mentioned about 30 times in the First Lady's memoir, published in July.

Melania, who is just a year older at 54, described her sister as "awe-inspiring" and a "guiding light" in her self-titled book, celebrating the "close bond" they've shared since childhood.

Ale de Basseville, a French photographer who worked with Melania during her modeling days in the 1990s, described the private sibling as "really polite and very mellow".

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Philanthropist Audrey Gruss also spoke highly of her, describing her as "a lovely person" and "extremely creative" in a 2017 interview with the New York Post.

Stephanie Winston-Wolkoff, a former aide to the First Lady, candidly admitted in her recollection of Ines while organizing Trump's initial inauguration, "even upon threat of death, I couldn't remember a thing about her".

"I've heard she is a homebody," Winston-Wolkoff also noted. "She flies so far below the radar, many people are surprised to learn that Melania has a sister at all."

Ines and Melania were raised in Sevnica, a quaint Slovenian town by the Sava River. Their mother, Amalija, worked as a patternmaker at a fashion company, and their father, Viktor, was a car parts salesman.

Despite Ines's low profile, the First Lady painted her sister as "an excellent communicator" in her biography. Praising Ines for "a vibrant energy that drew people towards her", Melania reflected on how effortlessly her sister befriended others.

Citing early signs of talent, Melania affirmed, "Her artistic talents were evident from a young age," recognizing Ines' natural knack for producing stunning works of art.