Sculpture of Melania Trump gets destroyed in Slovenia
(MENAFN) A statue of former US First Lady Melania Trump, located near her hometown of Sevnica, Slovenia, has been vandalized and stolen, with police now investigating the incident as a theft.
The life-sized bronze sculpture, which stood in a field, was mostly removed, leaving only the feet and ankles attached to the tree stump base. Slovenian authorities confirmed the damage took place on May 13 and have launched a formal inquiry.
This statue was a replacement for an earlier wooden version that was set on fire in 2020, a year after it was first installed in 2019. Both the original wooden statue and the bronze replica were created by American artist Brad Downey and Slovenian sculptor Ales Zupevc.
The initial wooden version, carved with a chainsaw from a poplar tree, showed Melania Trump in a blue dress and heels, resembling her outfit at Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration. It received mixed reviews from locals and was destroyed by arson on July 4, 2020—U.S. Independence Day.
Sevnica, a small Slovenian town of about 5,000 residents along the Sava River, gained global recognition after Melania Trump rose to international prominence. The town later capitalized on her fame with a variety of Melania-themed products.
Downey, commenting on the latest act of vandalism, told AFP he suspects it may be politically motivated, possibly connected to Donald Trump’s re-election campaign. He described the statue as an “anti-monument” meant to challenge traditional political iconography.
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