Melania Trump
Melania TrumpReuters

U.S. First Lady Melania Trump attended an official White House event with President Donald Trump on Monday afternoon, CNN reported, after not having been seen publicly for 24 days following a kidney operation.

The event, a private East Room reception for more than 40 Gold Star military families, was closed to the press out of respect for the military family members, the report said.

However, the First Lady’s entrance into the room was filmed by private individuals and disseminated on social media.

On May 14, it was announced that Trump had been admitted to Walter Reed Medical Center for treatment of a “benign kidney condition”.

While she was released on May 19, Melania remained out of the public eye. Her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham confirmed on Sunday that the First Lady would not be attending this year’s G7 Summit in Quebec, or the planned June 12 meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore.

The First Lady’s absence fueled speculations about her condition and her whereabouts. Last week, she took to Twitter to criticize the media for speculating on her whereabouts.

“I see the media is working overtime speculating where I am & what I'm doing,” she tweeted. “Rest assured, I'm here at the @WhiteHouse w my family, feeling great, & working hard on behalf of children & the American people!” wrote Trump.

Ahead of the Gold Star reception, Grisham told CNN there was nothing to the rumors, blaming the media for piquing public interest.

"Mrs. Trump has always been a strong and independent woman who puts her family, and certainly her health above all else, and that won't change over a rabid press corps," said Grisham. "She's confident in what she is doing and in her role, and knows the rest is just speculation and nonsense."