--- title: Melania Trump Missed an Opportunity to Earn Millions as First Lady, According to Lawsuit description: A new lawsuit suggests Melania Trump should have been able to become a multimillionaire in her own right as First Lady. authors: - name: Rob Wile url: https://money.com/author/rob-wile/ at_money_since: 2017 articles: 191 covers: - Economy and Politics - Business - Career Advice - Education - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Personal Finance - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology social: - https://x.com/rjwile former_staff: true published: '2017-02-07T15:44:50.000Z' modified: '2017-02-07T15:44:50.000Z' section: Economy and Politics tags: - Melania Trump word_count: 223 canonical: https://money.com/melania-trump-missed-an-opportunity-to-earn-millions-as-first-lady-according-to-lawsuit/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![170207_melania](https://img.money.com/2017/02/170207_melania.jpg) *First Lady Melania Trump is seen the Salute to Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, January 20, 2017.* As the wife of Donald Trump, Melania Trump is already worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But a new lawsuit suggests she should have been able to become a multimillionaire in her own right as First Lady—if it weren't for an article published last summer that alleged she once worked for an escort service. The [suit](https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/fbem/DocumentDisplayServlet?documentId=Yv9ua7eZrTT_PLUS_pEUque3HmQ==&system=prod), filed Monday against the *Daily Mail's* American website*,* says the site's conduct "was extreme and outrageous in falsely making the scurrilous charge that the future First Lady of the United States worked as a prostitute." Melania had a “unique, once in a lifetime opportunity” to “launch a broad-based commercial brand” that could have garnered "multi-million dollar business relationships," since she was now "one of the most photographed women in the world," the lawyers allege. Melania is seeking damages of $150 million. The *Mail* has since replaced the article [with a retraction](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3769798/Melania-Trump-retraction.html). The *Mail*, [in a parallel court proceeding over the article](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/judge-dismisses-melania-trumps-lawsuit-against-daily-mail/2017/02/02/e7e934f8-e9bb-11e6-903d-9b11ed7d8d2a_story.html?utm_term=.6886ab23ef5c), has said its publication was acceptable because it “discussed allegations that had been disseminated about the then-potential first lady, and the impact even false rumors could have on the presidential race.” Melania is being represented by Charles Harder, the same lawyer who defeated Gawker Media in a defamation suit brought by Hulk Hogan. 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