Melania Trump was noticeably absent when her husband Donald Trump appeared at the Manhattan court for arraignment on criminal charges.
The former first lady was nowhere to be seen when the former president addressed supporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, decrying the 34 felony charges against him arising out of alleged hush money payments made to adult film actor Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.
But Ms Trump “isn’t leaving him”, said her ex-aide and once good friend, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff.
“Melania lives in an ivory tower of denial,” she was quoted as saying by Page Six.
“I never expected to see her there. Her silence is deliberate, it is her weapon of choice and her protective armor,” claimed the former senior Vogue staffer who also served as Ms Trump’s adviser until 2018.
“Of course she knows about Donald’s affairs, she knows everything. But her silence is her dignity. She will stand by her husband, as she always does. I don’t think Melania is humiliated by his affairs – but she is angry.”
The former president also did not mention her directly during his post-arraignment address at his Palm Beach residence, reported the New York Post.
“I have a great family and they’ve done a fantastic job and we appreciate it very much. They’ve gone through a lot,” the 76-year-old said.
“I have a son here [Don Jr] who has done a great job, another son here [Eric] who has done a great job, and Ivanka,” said Mr Trump. “And Barron will be great someday,” he said, referring to his teenage son with the former first lady. “He is tall and he is smart.”
But her absence from the court and the Palm Beach ballroom does not imply Ms Trump was planning on leaving her husband, according to Ms Wolkoff.
“Privately, Melania says people are just jealous, and she hoped the Stormy Daniels scandal would be swept under the carpet. Her way of coping is to never let her feelings show or affect her. I predict we will see her back at his side at the next social event at Mar-a-Lago.”
Mr Trump has vehemently denied that he had an affair with Stormy Daniels amid allegations that he paid money to keep their affair quiet. The former president was arrested and arraigned in a Manhattan Criminal Court over hush money payments including to the adult film star.
Jill Biden’s former spokesperson Michael LaRosa had earlier tweeted on how it would be significant if Ms Trump would be present alongside her husband in court.
“Prior to Trump appearing in the doorway, I held my breath, awaiting to see if the former First Lady would be by his side, clasping his hand, and showing unconditional love and support,” Mr LaRosa said. “There would have been so much power in that picture.”
