Side-By-Side Pics Of Melania Trump And Mom Amalija Knavs' Smiles Will Have You Seeing Double

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When Melania Trump's mother Amalija Knavs died in 2024, the first lady fought back tears and her voice cracked as she paid tribute to the woman who raised her, saying in her eulogy, "In her presence, the world seemed to shimmer with radiant joy. ... Our bond was unbreakable" (via Fox News). It was Amalija's love for fashion that reportedly inspired Melania to pursue her own modeling career. But it wasn't just their passion for haute couture that mother and daughter shared; seeing them side by side, their features — especially their smiles — are nearly identical. Looking at a photo of Amalija from 2006, it's easy to see the familial ties between the mother and daughter.

Davidoff Studios Photography & Taylor Hill/Getty

While Melania lets loose with her megawatt smile when she's around children, she usually uses her modeling skills to show off just enough of her pearly whites without going too big. Her mother similarly perfected her grin. Like Melania, Amalija knew how to give a picture-perfect smile when the cameras were out. But the smile wasn't the only feature the two shared. Seeing them side-by-side, their noses are almost identical too, and they both have strikingly dark tresses (in photos where Melania hasn't dyed her hair, that is).

Melania Trump was always close to her mother. Living in Sevnica, Slovenia, the Knavs family had humble beginnings before their youngest daughter's marriage to a billionaire would change everything for them. Amalija Knavs worked at a clothing factory and made her children's clothes by hand. It was that job that would help launch Melania's modeling career. "First Ladies" by Betty Boyd Caroli stated, "When [her textile company] enlisted young girls as informal models for their latest children's fashions, Amalija arranged for Melanija to walk the runway" (per People). This kicked off Melania's passion for fashion, leading her to model in Europe, where she was discovered by Paolo Zampolli, the man who played matchmaker between her and Donald Trump.

Amalija and Viktor Knavs would soon follow their daughter to America, moving into Trump Tower and becoming regulars at Mar-a-Lago while keeping their home in Sevnica. They even moved into the White House part-time to help raise Barron Trump during Donald's first term. The Knavs were such a close-knit family that they often had conversations in their native tongue, which Barron has learned as well. Mary Jordan, writer of the Melania biography "The Art of Her Deal" explained to CBS in 2020, "There's a unit within the family unit, and it's Melania, her mother, her father and Barron. And they all speak Slovenian." This, according to Jordan, irks Donald, who can't speak Slovenian and doesn't understand their conversations. When Amalija fell ill in 2023, Melania skipped the Mar-a-Lago Christmas festivities to be with her. Sadly, Amalija would pass away shortly after.