The actress who portrayed a stripping Melania Trump in T.I.’s provocative music video alleges that she has been receiving death threats.
Melanie Marden shared an extended message on Instagram detailing the criticism she has gotten since appearing in the controversial video and maintains that she has no regrets about taking on the role as the Melania look-alike.
“I was hired (as an actress) not a stripper to portray Melania Trump,” Marden explained. “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.”
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The model continued: “I wanted to be brave, be fearless and for the first time in my life do a role that required nudity. The body is nothing to be ashamed of.”
Marden also noted that she felt compelled to accept the role as a means of combatting women victimization and said she “felt good about being a strong enough woman to portray a nude First Lady.”
“I send love to all the people who called me names and made accusations or delivered hurtful insults. These are clearly deep wounds inside of you. That have nothing to do with me. For that I am sad and wish you much healing.”
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Marden likened her appearance as the naked Melania Trump to actor and comedian Alec Baldwin’s consistent portrayal of Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live,” and had a very simple message for the “political people” who issued her threats; “I remind you this is just a music video – Relax!”
T.I.’s video, which exhibited Marden in the Oval Office and donned only in the “I REALLY DON’T CARE DO U?” jacket made infamous by Melania Trump sparked intense outrage when the fake Melania is seen stripping and defacing a presidential portrait of Trump with red spray paint.
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"How is this acceptable? #disgusting #boycottT.I.," the first lady's spokesperson Stephanie Grisham tweeted Saturday and Melania Trump retweeted.
In a statement to Fox News Grisham said: "Like it or not, she is the First Lady and this is the White House. It’s disrespectful and disgusting to portray her this way simply because of politics. These kinds of vulgar attacks only further the divisiveness and bias in our country - it needs to stop."
Fox News’ Sasha Savitsky contributed to this report.