Melania Trump shares rare and personal details about how son Barron was ‘bullied’ as a child

Melania Trump has long guarded her son Barron’s privacy after four years in the White House, but the former first lady has now spoken out about his teenage years, writing that autism allegations led to bullying.

In her self-titled memoir, released on Tuesday, October 8, Melania revealed the “irreparable damage” that the claims made in 2016 caused the boy and the family.

Rosie O’Donnell was at the center of the allegations after she reposted a video in which she speculated about how Barron’s behavior might indicate he was on the autism spectrum; Rosie’s daughter is also autistic.

“Barron’s experience of being bullied both online and in real life following the incident is a clear indication of the irreparable damage that was caused,” she wrote, according to The Daily Beast and the New York Times.

“‘There’s nothing shameful about autism (although O’Donnell’s tweet suggested there was), but Barron is not autistic.’

Melania continued: “Someone had carefully compiled the footage and added captions such as: ‘His hands move erratically and do not touch each other.'” He was then seen making strange movements in his seat, typical of children with autism.'”

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“I was horrified by this cruelty,” she added.

“It was clear to me that her point was not to raise awareness of autism. I felt like she was attacking my son because she didn’t like my husband.”

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The 54-year-old also once called her son a “remarkable young man,” according to the publication, and wrote that as a young teenager, Barron “possessed a rare combination of intelligence, charm and hard work,” with “a circle of friends, a thirst for knowledge, and A number of hobbies, Barron continued to surprise me with his development and potential.”

Barron is now 18 years old and studying at New York University’s Stern School of Business. He stands 6-foot-3 and has stepped out of his parents’ shadow in recent months after completing a $38,000-a-year, private, co-educational college-preparatory program at Oxbridge Academy in Palm Beach, Fla. and high school.

Barron moved to the academy in 2021 after his father’s presidency came to an end; He previously studied at St. Andrew’s University in Maryland, which costs $50,000 a year.

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Barron is the only child of Donald Trump and his wife Melania, but the former president has four other children from previous relationships.

Donald is also the father of Donald Trump Jr. (46), Ivanka Trump (42) and Eric Trump (40) with his late ex-wife Ivana Trump and daughter Tiffany Trump (30) with his second ex-wife Marla Maples.