The former First Lady spent New Year's Eve in hospital as her mother is "very ill", Donald Trump has said.
Trump explained that Melania's mother, Amalija Knav was suffering from some kind of illness when he was asked why his wife had not accompanied him to a party on New Year's Eve.
In a video clip shared online, he said: "Melania—great First Lady, so popular, the people love her—she's now in a hospital with her mother.
"Her mother, Amalija, is very ill, but hopefully she'll be recovering."
The former First Lady spent New Year's Eve in hospital as her mother is "very ill", Donald Trump has said
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Trump then told the New Year's crowd that his wife "sends her love."
He added: "But she's been very ill, so I just want to say 'hello' to the First Lady—we just spoke, down in Miami, great hospital—and hopefully they'll be ok, but it's a tough one, it's a very tough one.
"She knows probably about 95 per cent of the people in this room. We just want to wish Amalija that she gets better as quickly as possible."
Melania also appeared to be missing from the family Christmas photo earlier this year.
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According to a source, she was reportedly caring for her 78-year-old mother.
It has also been reported that Melania has "always been very devoted to her entire family."
"It should be no surprise that she spent this Christmas with her ailing mother," the source told Fox News.
Since the end of Trump's presidency, Melania stayed away from the spotlight.
'Nobody knows where she is!' Melania Trump mystery develops as she dodges public eye for 'isolated life'GettyIn November, she did attend Rosalyn Carter's funeral alongside other former First Ladies and a month later participated in a swearing-in ceremony at the National Archives.
She has been absent from all of Trump's campaign appearances and his media interviews since he left office.
However, she did support her husband's candidacy during a Fox News interview in May, telling the broadcaster that he was looking forward to "restoring hope for the future and leading America with love and strength."
