A former friend of Melania Trump has claimed that the ex-first lady "lives in an ivory tower of denial" following her absence during her husband's first public remarks after becoming the first U.S. president to be arraigned on criminal charges.

On Tuesday, ex-President Donald Trump spoke at his Mar-a-Lago resort, thanking his family for their support. However, Melania Trump was not present as her husband criticized the charges related to payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal to suppress news of alleged extramarital affairs.

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former aide and friend to Melania, told Page Six, "Melania lives in an ivory tower of denial." Wolkoff, who was Melania's adviser until 2018, added, "Her silence is deliberate, it is her weapon of choice and her protective armor."

Regarding Melania's absence from the event at Mar-a-Lago, Wolkoff said, "I never expected to see her there." She went on to state, "Of course she knows about Donald's affairs, she knows everything. But her silence is her dignity. She will stand by her husband, as she always does. I don't think Melania is humiliated by his affairs — but she is angry."

However, Wolkoff does not believe Melania plans to leave her husband. "This is a transactional marriage, she knew what she was getting into when she married Donald. Her means of survival is to just act like it never happened," Wolkoff explained.

Wolkoff also stated that Melania privately dismisses people as jealous and hoped the Stormy Daniels scandal would fade away. "Her way of coping is to never let her feelings show or affect her. I predict we will see her back at his side at the next social event at Mar-a-Lago," she said.

According to Wolkoff, Melania avoids situations where she might be questioned by the media about her husband. "Melania believes she doesn't have to answer or explain herself to anyone, so she's not going to put herself in that position," Wolkoff concluded.