Melania Trump lookalike in T.I. striptease video gets death threats, but defends her role as an opportunity to ’empower women’
Canadian model, Melanie Marden, can be seen in the video dressed as the First Lady in her infamous 'I Don't Care, Do U?' jacket before she strips in the Oval Office
The model in rapper T.I.'s latest controversial video, who plays First Lady Melania Trump, has reportedly been getting threats for featuring in the video. The Canadian model, Melanie Marden, can be seen in the video dressed as the First Lady in her infamous 'I Don't Care, Do U?' jacket before stripping in the Oval Office. Melania Trump had received widespread criticism for being insensitive as she wore the jacket while visiting migrant children in Texas, in June.
The video's preview, which was shared by T.I. on Twitter on Tuesday, had also received a lot of flak for its content, including a post from the First Lady's spokesperson Stephanie Grisham. Grisham had said that it was "disrespectful and disgusting to portray her in this way simply because of politics."
The video shows the rapper sitting in the presidential chair and lighting a cigar as a woman, with a striking resemblance to the First Lady, walks in and performs a racy striptease in front of T.I.
The Canadian model, while talking to the Inside Edition, admitted that the reactions from viewers to the video had surprised her.
"Somebody was going to hit me with their car. Somebody was going to take a baseball bat to me. Somebody wished me to get raped and then killed," Marden said, adding that she had not intended for her part in the video to be a political statement.
"It was an opportunity for me to step right outside my comfort zone and play the First Lady — yes, naked, which I’ve never done before," the model said. Marden also said she thinks there is no reason for Melania Trump to be miffed over the video either. She also took a shot at President Donald Trump.
How is this acceptable? #disgusting #boycottT.I. @Tip https://t.co/HvnFahfsVK
— Stephanie Grisham (@StephGrisham45) October 13, 2018
"The First Lady’s husband does a lot of bullying himself. So they've got some thick skin. If I was insulting her and degrading her, then it would be one thing, but I don't think I was," she said.
The Canadian model also added that after this experience, she may even consider playing the First Lady in a regular gig, according to reports.
The award-winning actress and producer who's appeared on the cover of Italian Maxim, is also clapping back at the "haters", taking to Instagram to defend her "creative choice" that she says was "an opportunity to empower women".
"Wow, I don't usually post about haters but I need to, wow!!!" Marden wrote on Instagram to her 13,500 followers on Monday. "This weekend I experienced this with my latest post of TI's new teaser of his music video - where I was hired (as an actress) not a stripper to portray Melania Trump. It was a creative choice for me, and also an opportunity to empower women. I stand firmly in my decision to share all of myself in this role," she wrote.
Marden goes on to refer to herself as "#nakedMelania" and likened her role to Alec Baldwin's portrayal of Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live.
