Melania Trump snubs Vanity Fair cover proposal in just four words after magazine staff threatened walkout
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: First lady Melania Trump dismissed an offer from Vanity Fair to feature her on its cover, reportedly laughing at the proposal before rejecting it outright.
The move sparked internal debate at the magazine, with some staff allegedly threatening to quit if the feature had gone ahead.
Melania Trump prioritizes first lady duties
According to Page Six, a fashion source close to the first lady said she “laughed” at the request from the magazine in July and declined immediately.
“She doesn’t have time,” the source claimed about the length it takes to sit for a solo photo shoot. “Her priorities as First Lady are far more important. These people don’t deserve her anyway.”
Another insider added, “She’s way above doing Vanity Fair. She’s been nothing but kind and works hard… She has her priorities straight.”
In a December appearance on 'Fox & Friends', just before Donald Trump’s second inauguration, Melania downplayed the importance of magazine features.
“I’ve been there,” she said when asked if she expected a fashion magazine cover during a second Trump term. “For me, we have so many other important things to do than to be on the cover of any magazine. I think that life would not change for anybody if I’m on the cover.”
Vanity Fair staff threaten to walk out over Mark Guiducci's proposal
Mark Guiducci, Vanity Fair’s new global editorial director, reportedly tried to convince Melania Trump over the summer, but his team objected strongly.
“If [Guiducci] puts Melania on the cover, half of the editorial staff will walk out, I guarantee it,” a mid-level editor told the Daily Mail. “I will walk out the motherf***ing door, and half my staff will follow me.”
Another employee added, “We are not going to normalize this despot and his wife; we’re just not going to do it. We’re going to stand for what’s right.” The same employee went further, saying they would rather work “bagging groceries at Trader Joe’s” than support a Trump cover and added, “It sickens me.”
Not everyone at Vanity Fair agrees that a mass protest would happen. “It’s all talk,” one employee said. “If they put her on the cover, people will protest and gripe about it, but I don’t see anyone quitting such a prestigious job over that.”
Contrast with Democratic first ladies
Throughout Donald Trump’s first term, Melania Trump did not appear on any Vogue or Vanity Fair cover, a sharp departure from how Conde Nast featured previous first ladies.
Michelle Obama appeared on Vogue three times between 2009 and 2016, and Jill Biden twice in four years. Hillary Clinton also graced the covers during her time as first lady.
The last time Melania worked with Vogue was in 2005. Unlike her predecessors, no offers were extended during her husband’s first term.
