Laura Benanti’s “Melania Trump” Fires Back at #FakeMelania Rumours in Wild Late-Night Sketch

Melania Trump Denies Using A 'Fake Melania'

Laura Benanti is back in full First Lady mode — and this time, her version of Melania Trump has one mission: shut down the internet’s favourite conspiracy theory.

Laura Benanti Is A Dead Ringer For Melania Trump

In a new late-night sketch, Benanti appears as Melania to insist that the long-running #FakeMelania rumours are nothing more than #FakeNews. The joke, of course, is that the denial only makes the whole thing even more ridiculous.

The bit plays on the bizarre online theory that Melania has sometimes been replaced in public by a body double — a rumour that has repeatedly gone viral over the years whenever photos or videos of the former First Lady spark speculation. The real Donald Trump has previously dismissed the claims as false, while multiple outlets have described the theory as a conspiracy with no evidence.

But in Benanti’s hands, the rumour becomes comedy gold.

Laura Benanti on Her Transformation Into Melania Trump on Colbert's 'Late Show' - The New York Times

Her Melania is icy, controlled, and deeply unconvincing in the funniest possible way. She insists everything is normal, that there is no fake Melania, and that the public should stop asking questions — all while leaning into the exact deadpan delivery that made her impression a late-night favourite.

Benanti has been spoofing Melania for years, first breaking out with her impression on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert during the 2016 election cycle. Her performances have often turned Melania’s carefully composed public image into a surreal comedy character: glamorous, trapped, mysterious, and always one line away from saying far too much.

The #FakeMelania joke has also been a recurring late-night target. In 2019, Benanti even appeared in a sketch alongside Christine Baranski, with both actresses poking fun at the idea of duelling Melanias.

This latest sketch works because it does not need to prove anything. It simply takes one of the internet’s strangest political rumours and pushes it into full absurdity.

By the end, Benanti’s Melania may be denying the conspiracy.

But the joke is clear: the more she says “fake news,” the funnier it gets.