The False Barron Trump Rumor That Melania Shuts Down Once And For All In Her New Book

Melania Trump has a memoir coming out, and it's got people talking. Whether it's Anderson Cooper's bemused and confused reaction to Melania's book promo videos, the revelation that Melania supports a woman's right to choose, or the fact that Donald accidentally admitted he hadn't read Melania's book yet, there's lots to discuss. Melania really seemed to have opened up about her life, including talking about how hard it was for her and how much pain it caused Barron Trump when rumors about him being autistic got traction online. She also confirmed that those rumors had no basis in reality.

In an advanced copy of the book, The Daily Beast reported that Melania explained that the rumors about Barron started in 2016 based on a supercut of Barron (who was 10 years old at the time) posted to YouTube exhibiting what some thought were signs of autism. That video was then amplified when Rosie O'Donnell posted about it on X (then known as Twitter). "There is nothing shameful about autism (though O'Donnell's tweet implied that there was), but Barron is not autistic," Melania wrote, per The Daily Beast.

Melania later threatened legal action against the original poster of the video; he took it down. O'Donnell also ended up taking down her post.

Rosie O'Donnell issued an online apology to Melania Trump for what she said was an "insensitive" tweet, per The Hollywood Reporter. The person who made the original video also apologized for saying that Barron Trump might have autism. But it may have been a case of too little, too late — damage had still been done. Melania revealed in her memoir, "Barron's experience of being bullied both online and in real life following the incident is a clear indication of the irreparable damage caused."

Barron had largely been kept out of the spotlight with many thinking that Melania was the reason. Seeing her son have to deal with bullies was clearly hard for Melania, as it would be for any mother, particularly considering how much she seems to have been working to protect him. She also seemed to think that O'Donnell's post was more about the ongoing bad blood between Donald Trump and O'Donnell (one of the many feuds in Trump family history) than it was about trying to show any empathy for someone who has autism. Seeing her young son getting dragged into the situation was "devastating" for Melania, per The Daily Beast.

What happened to Barron may have helped inspire Melania to start her "Be Best" campaign, which she launched as first lady in 2018. One of the goals of the initiative was to help address cyberbullying.

If you or someone you know is being bullied, you can find resources and support at stopbullying.gov.