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'Imagine how far you can go with a little bit of English': Melania Trump threatens legal action over language school billboard featuring her image

The billboards appeared in the Croatian capital Zagreb: Darko Bandic/AP
The billboards appeared in the Croatian capital Zagreb: Darko Bandic/AP

Melania Trump has threatened legal action against a Croatian language school which used her image with the caption “just imagine how far you can go with a little bit of English” in a marketing campaign”.

Billboards featuring a picture of the first lady making a speech in front of an American flag have been removed from the capital city of Zagreb after her lawyer threatened a lawsuit.

The billboards were advertising private English language school the American Institute. They used the image of Slovenian-born Mrs Trump to persuade Croats to learn English and follow her success.

But the first lady, who speaks English with a heavy accent, did not see the funny side of the campaign. Her Slovenian lawyer demanded that the billboards and Facebook ads featuring Mrs Trump should be taken down immediately.

Melania Trump left Slovenia in her 20s to pursue an international modelling career (Photo by Kevin Dietsch - Pool/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Melania Trump left Slovenia in her 20s to pursue an international modelling career (Photo by Kevin Dietsch - Pool/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

The language school has since apologised, saying that it meant to show Mrs Trump as a “role model”.

“I’m satisfied with the fact that the school admitted that they violated the law and that they are ready to remove the billboards and (Facebook) ads,” lawyer Natasa Pirc-Musar told The Associated Press. “We are still analysing possible further legal steps.”

Melania Trump’s image has appeared without her permission on various products in her native Slovenia, including cakes, underwear and tourism advertisements. This prompted her to hire a legal team to protect her image.

“We are very sorry that the billboards were misunderstood as something intended to mock the U.S. first lady,” Ivis Buric, a spokeswoman for the school, American Institute, told AP. “It was meant to be something positive, to show her as a role model.”