CNN White House reporter Kate Bennett, whose new unauthorized biography, “Free, Melania,” is out now, spoke to Inside Edition.
Melania and President Trump sleep on separate floors of the White House residence, according to the author of a new, unauthorized biography of the first lady.
"She's independent, she likes her own space, she's always been a loner," CNN White House reporter Kate Bennett, author of "Free, Melania," told Inside Edition.
While the president sleeps in the master bedroom on the second level of the White House residence, his wife sleeps on the third floor, in a two-room space formerly occupied by Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama’s mother, Bennett wrote.
But readers should not misinterpret that to mean the state of their marriage is at all dire, despite all the rumors.
"Their marriage is a lot more solid than public might think," Bennett said. "Melania tends to look stoic, but behind the scenes there's certainly a lot of respect."
The first lady has gotten rave reviews for her choice White House Christmas decor, but critics have dragged her for her choice of outfit in the video unveiling the holiday trappings. The video shows the first lady wearing a coat draped over her shoulders.
“That Coat Looks Ridiculous” blares a headline in the Washington Post, with the newspaper's fashion critic Robin Givhan writing: "In a video that is intended to celebrate the warmth and welcoming spirit of the holiday season, that simple flourish exudes cold, dismissive aloofness."
White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham came to the first lady’s defense on Tuesday saying, "It has become an annual holiday tradition for the media to attack all that the first lady does. If this was a democratic administration, I suspect Mrs. Trump and her work would be featured positively in every mainstream news outlet."
Bennett also said criticizing her coat "is a little silly."
"I don't think she's ever not gonna wear that coat over her shoulders, it's her thing,” she said. "I think she's gonna do and say what she wants."
Bennett's book also reveals the inside story of Melania's infamous "I Really Don't Care. Do U?" jacket. The author claims it was actually a "jab at Ivanka [Trump]" because of Ivanka's "near-constant attempts" to take center stage at the White House.
The title "Free, Melania" is a play on the hashtag #FreeMelania, which is a joking reference to the idea that the first lady needs to be rescued from what some see as the White House prison.
“There's a comma after my ‘Free,’ because I think she is most free person in Washington,” the author said.
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