'Fake Melania' conspiracy about FLOTUS body double results in loss of gigs for Melania Trump impersonators
There has been much buzz around 'Fake Melania', and ensuing conspiracy theories. Ironically, these theories are having adverse effects on the real Melania Trump impersonators. Many people book well-paying gigs dressing up like Melania, President Trump and other political figures at parties and events during elections, but now it seems difficult.
First Lady impersonators opened up to TMZ, about how the conspiracy, political climate and COVID-19 that changed their business. Michele Marzano, who charges $1,000 to show up looking like Melania, Madonna, or Sarah Palin, said she hasn't received a single request to be Melania during the 2020 election, which is a far cry from 2016 when she was hired to dress like Melania at least 10 times. According to her, people have lost their sense of humor and she thinks that COVID-19 is a part of it. She also believes that Trump supporters don't think Melania is funny at the moment.
Another Melania lookalike, Mira Tzur says a lot of people have been asking if she's Melania's alleged body double, her family included. She said she's not and added she's not getting asked to dress like the first lady at all. Tzur feels that there was much curiosity surrounding Melania after the 2016 election because she didn't speak much. However, now, everyone has seen and heard her for the past four years. Another Melania impersonator, Lauren LoGiudice, thought she would finally get hired after the #FakeMelania conspiracy, but that hasn't happened either. LoGiudice also believes that no one finds Melania funny anymore and that people feel anger towards the first lady. So, in short, the Melania impersonators are running out of business.
For the unversed, 'Fake Melania' began when a video and photo of first lady Melania Trump with President Donald Trump sparked conspiracy theories that FLOTUS has a body double. A video began to do the rounds, which shows Melania kissing Trump. In the video, the viewer is unable to see the face of the couple as it is being hidden behind a teleprompter screener. The video shows Melania in a black and white dress and donning shades while Trump is wearing a red MAGA cap and his trademark suit. A viewer shared the video with the caption, “The real Melania won’t even hold his hand.”
The real Melania won’t even hold his hand. pic.twitter.com/sOSBz6SGBy
— Dana Goldberg (@DGComedy) October 30, 2020
Following this, people began to share the video alleging that the woman featured in both the photo and video is not really Melania but her body double. Giving the final verdict, USA Today said busting the notion of a body double for Melania, “Based on our research, the conspiracy theory that the White House has used a body double to sub for Melania Trump is FALSE. The White House and President Donald Trump have denied it, and the photos and videos that have been cited as proof of the theory have been anomalies. After all, no one looks the same in every photo that is taken of them.”
In 2017, there had much buzz about the body double of Melania as well. Jonathan Wackrow, a former Secret Service agent who served on the first family's detail, told CNN that "the United States Secret Service doesn't use body doubles."