Stephanie Winston Wolkoff Reveals Melania Trump’s Unfazed Reaction to Trump’s Access Hollywood Tape

Former friend and adviser to Melania Trump, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, revealed surprising details about the dynamic between Donald and Melania Trump in her book Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady.

Wolkoff described the couple as being like “two peas in a pod” who shared similar humor, including Melania’s reaction to Donald Trump’s infamous Access Hollywood tape from 2005, which surfaced during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The tape, in which Donald Trump was caught on a hot mic making lewd comments about women, caused widespread outrage. In the recording, Trump bragged about kissing and groping women without their consent, saying, “When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p****.” Despite the backlash, Melania was reportedly unfazed by the controversy.

Wolkoff recounted in her book that she met with Melania shortly after the tape became public and was surprised by her calm demeanor. Speaking to ABC News, Wolkoff said, “I expected her to be in tears, but she wasn’t. She was radiant, smiling, as if nothing had happened.”

Wolkoff even joked with Melania, asking, “How many times have you heard the words ‘p****’ and president in the same sentence?” to which they both laughed. Wolkoff further explained Melania’s reaction, describing her as a pragmatist.

The Washington Post,“Are you upset? Doesn’t it make you angry?” Wolkoff recalled asking, but Melania responded nonchalantly, saying, “If you can’t control people’s emotions, why even worry about it?” Wolkoff elaborated that Melania exuded confidence and was fully aware of what she was getting into with Donald Trump, stating, “She knows who she married, and so did he.”

The Access Hollywood tape emerged during Trump’s campaign against Hillary Clinton in 2016, and its content sparked widespread condemnation. In the recording, Trump made crude remarks about women, boasting about kissing and groping them because of his celebrity status.

After the tape was released, Trump issued a public apology on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Anyone who knows me knows these words don’t reflect who I am. I said it, I was wrong, and I apologize.” Wolkoff, however, was critical of the Trump family in her book, describing their actions as full of “deceit and deception.” She warned, “It was amateur hour then, and it’s amateur hour now, and I think it’s really frightening for our country.”