Kamal Ghorui
In recent weeks, a rare public statement by First Lady Melania Trump denying any links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein has sparked a wave of online speculation, much of it tied to a single X account.The account, under the name Amanda Ungaro, claims to be an Epstein “survivor” and a longtime acquaintance of Melania, and has publicly threatened to expose what it calls the First Lady’s “hidden connections.” This digital back-and-forth has drawn attention not just to Melania’s past, but also to the much murkier history of Amanda Ungaro herself.
Melania Trump (Photo via PTI)
Who is Amanda Ungaro?
Amanda Ungaro is a Brazilian model and former Grenada ambassador to the United Nations who has been linked, through her work and relationships, to high-profile circles in the United States.She was discovered in Brazil by former modelling agent Paolo Zampolli, who brought her to New York in the early 2000s and helped shape her modelling career. She was 17 when she met him, while he was 32, and they are said to have been in a 20-year-long relationship. Some even claim they were married and had a son together; however, Zampolli denies any marital claims.Zampolli is also known as the man who introduced Melania Knauss (now Melania Trump) to Donald Trump, placing Ungaro in the same social and professional orbit as the presidential couple.
What has she revealed about her connection with Epstein?
In an interview with Brazil’s O Globo newspaper, Ungaro described being part of Jeffrey Epstein’s world without directly accusing him of assaulting her. She said she flew from Paris to New York on Epstein’s private jet at the age of 17, sharing the flight with then-agent Jean-Luc Brunel and around 30 other young women.According to her, she felt “immediate discomfort” and “wanted to get off the plane,” sensing something was wrong, even if she did not fully understand the situation at the time. Based on these accounts, Ungaro positions herself as a survivor of Epstein’s modelling and recruitment ecosystem, rather than a direct victim of his assaults.
Ungaro claims close proximity to Melania Trump and her family
Ungaro has also claimed close proximity to Melania and Donald Trump through their mutual ties with Zampolli. In the same interview, she said, “At New Year’s parties at Mar-a-Lago, we and one other couple were the only ones at the table with Trump and Melania.” These remarks have fuelled speculation about how close the connections between the Trumps and individuals linked to Epstein’s network may have been.On her X account, Ungaro claims to have been close to Melania’s family for over two decades, including her parents. One of her posts reads, “Hello Melania, I was around you for 20 years. You knew I was inside ICE, and you know what hurts after all this time? I stayed close to your family—your mother and your father—not because of you, but because of them, at events and everything else.”The post goes on to warn Melania to “shut your mouth when speaking about me. Because I will expose everything I know.”
Ungaro’s 2025 arrest and deportation
In 2025, Ungaro’s profile shifted from that of a model-turned-diplomat to a figure in the US legal and immigration system. She was arrested in Miami for allegedly running an unlicensed cosmetic surgery or Botox clinic out of an Aventura office. The charges included unlicensed medical practice, grand theft, and organised fraud.Coverage by NBC Miami indicates that she allegedly carried out procedures such as liposuction and fillers without proper licences, and that some patients suffered complications.After her arrest, Ungaro was transferred to immigration detention by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) due to her immigration status. She remained in ICE custody for more than three months before formally requesting, in September 2025, that an immigration judge order her deportation back to Brazil.
White House reaction
According to reports, Kristen Holmes noted that some White House officials were “stunned” by the timing of Melania’s statement, especially since the Epstein story had largely “died down” in mainstream coverage.
