Who Is Amanda Ungaro, Brazilian National Linked To Melania Trump's Epstein Denial

US First Lady Melania Trump's public denial of any connections to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein has sparked a wave of speculation on the internet, with the name of Amanda Ungaro dominating conversations.

On social media, several people are directly linking the former Brazilian diplomat and ex-partner of Trump ally Paolo Zampolli to Melania Trump's unscheduled White House remarks on Thursday. 

Who Is Amanda Ungaro?

Ungaro is a Brazilian national, who spent several years in the elite international and political circles. 

According to The New York Times, she earlier held a diplomatic role as Grenada's Ambassador to the United Nations and was focused on environmental and "blue economy" issues.

She was said to be in a long-time relationship with Zampolli, the Italian-American businessman who introduced Melania to Donald Trump in 1998. Amanda Ungaro and Zampolli share a teenage son and parted ways in 2021 after staying together for several years.

Both Melania Trump and Amanda Ungaro, 41, had arrived in the US from Slovenia and Brazil in search of a better life.

Due to her proximity to Zampolli, Ungaro became known among Trump's social circles. She accompanied him for several public events, including Trump's 2017 inauguration, where she and Zampolli were among guests connected to the First Family.

Ungaro was arrested last year in Miami on fraud-related charges tied to a medical spa business. She pleaded not guilty, but immigration authorities later detained her after it emerged that her visa had expired years earlier.

While she was in custody, Zampolli admitted to contacting a senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official to inquire about Ungaro's situation. However, Zampolli denied seeking special treatment for her, People magazine reported.

The Department of Homeland Security rejected claims of political interference in the matter and said any suggestion THAT Ungaro was targeted for political reasons is false. The agency added that her removal was based on immigration violations.

Ungaro and Zampolli were together for 19 years. After splitting from him, she got married to a Brazilian doctor, and the couple was staying in Aventura, Florida, when she was arrested in June last year on fraud-related charges.