Donald Trump's Marriages Have Been Full Of Red Flags

Donald Trump was always a bit of a playboy, so you'd think his girlfriends and wives would

have gone in knowing what to expect. Way before he became president, these are the biggest red flags people somehow missed

in the love life of Donald Trump. Now, we're not saying she's a gold digger, but for the president and his first lady

there's a lot more going on than meets the public eye. Here are the strangest things we've uncovered about Donald and Melania's marriage

Even the most perfect couple will eventually get into a fight, but Melania says

We don't have fights. I know we don't disagree on things. We disagree, but that's okay. That's

very good in the relationship. Donald echoed that claim, telling Larry King

We literally have never had an argument or forget about the word fight. We never even had an

argument. We just are very compatible. We get along. Considering Donald's long history of

public feuds, particularly with his two ex-wives, this bold claim seems all the more dubious

Thanks to Melania's delayed move to D.C., according to the police commissioner

It cost between $127,000 and $146,000 a day for the NYPD to protect Melania and her son

Barron, which resulted in a total cost of $24 million between Election Day and Inauguration

Day alone. Public outcry over the exorbitant expense prompted a Change.org petition demanding

FLOTUS either move to the White House or foot her own security bill. Melania and Barron officially

moved to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in June 2017. It's clear that Melania is willing to stand up for her husband, but in the case of People

reporter Natasha Stoynoff's accusations of sexual assault against Donald, Melania's defense left some questions unanswered

Stoynoff alleged that in 2005 she was interviewing the Trumps when a then-pregnant Melania left

her alone with Donald. Stoynoff said, "...within seconds he was pushing me against the wall and forcing his tongue down my throat.

According to Vanity Fair, Melania's public response via a letter from her lawyer posted

on Twitter, explicitly focused on and denied Stoynoff's claims that she bumped into Melania

a few months later. Melania's non-response about the assault speaks volumes about how

she handles her husband's messes. Former Mar-a-Lago butler Anthony Senecal inadvertently gave us a peek behind the Trump

marriage when he tried to pay a compliment to Melania. Senecal told The Washington Post

that Melania could be personable in ways the public rarely sees. He then shared an anecdote

about how she urged him to take time off to visit his dying sister, but added

When Donald's here, you'll have to stay, describing her personality as warm but restrained

If Sennical's story is true, Melania may be stifling her true personality to appease Donald

According to a GQ profile, which boldly dug up dirt on Melania's dad

Victor, he's only five years older than Donald and actually bears a fairly strong visual resemblance

to him. Melania said of her dad, He likes quality, he wears sharp suits, and had an extensive collection of Mercedes

Victor also made his own way to achieve wealth within communist Slovenia. As for the paternal

comparison, Melania is characteristically flattering. They're both hardworking. They're both very smart and very capable. They grew up in totally different environments, but they have the

same values. They have the same tradition. I myself am similar to my husband. Do you understand what

I mean? So is my dad. He is a family man. He has tradition. He was hardworking. So was my husband.

When Donald threw his hat into the ring for the presidency, the supermarket checkout was

noticeably quiet about his marriage. According to Politico, this may have a lot to do with

Donald's close relationship to AMI owner David Pecker, the man whose media empire owns the

National Enquirer, The Globe, Radar Online, and the National Examiner. Throughout the 2016

presidential campaign, AMI's publications were highly critical of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and her husband Bill, while championing Trump and leaving Melania out of it altogether

But this was pure coincidence, according to Pecker, who told The New York Post

The pro-Trump and anti-Hillary covers have seen newsstand sales pop 23 percent

That is the only poll data that I care about." We're already familiar with the pair's strangely stiff appearance during the inauguration festivities

but it seems President Trump just can't help being awkward around his wife on the world stage

While standing directly next to his wife at a press conference in Fort Myers, Florida

following Hurricane Irma, Trump said, Well, I just want to thank everybody. Melania really wanted to be with us. She's really

it's really touched her heart what's going on, and we've seen the devastation." According to The Sun, Trump's attackers quickly jumped in, saying he wasn't even aware that his

wife was standing right beside him. While his defenders claimed he was just saying that she

felt strongly about making the trip with him, he's just awkward with words. Hopefully for Donald

that was the case. Otherwise, he'd be in for a long, silent Air Force One flight back to the White

House. Melania Trump is one of the few first ladies in the history of the presidency to delay

moving into the White House. The Trumps made it clear they wanted their son, Baron Trump

to be able to finish school in New York without interruption. Yet questions remained about the

level of involvement Melania was going to have in her East Wing duties. Back in 1999, Melania

had a much different vision for her theoretical role as FLOTUS. She told the New York Times

I would be very traditional, like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy. I would support him

17 years later, Melania drastically changed her tune, telling GQ, I chose not to go into politics and policy. Those policies are my husband's job

Her position changed again just days before the election, when she announced that one of

her key issues as First Lady would be to combat cyberbullying, which many found ironic

considering Donald Trump's penchant for slinging barbs via X, formerly known as Twitter

Social media is an inventable part of our children's daily lives. During Donald's first official overseas trip, Melania accompanied him and, according to many accounts, salvaged what could have been a diplomatic disaster

Melania essentially stole the entire international show, charming Pope Francis with small talk and making headlines with her fashion choices

Of her performance during the trip, Donald himself was reportedly overheard aboard Air Force One describing her as Jackie O on steroids

Donald Trump first met Stormy Daniels in 2006 at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship

According to the adult film star, an affair soon followed. Donald had married Melania Trump the

year before and their son, Barron, was just a few months old when Stormy alleged things got

physical between them. She shared details of their encounters with InTouch in 2011

but the outlet didn't publish them until 2018 because Trump's longtime attorney

Michael Cohen, apparently threatened to take legal action. However, InTouch finally decided

to post the interview a week after a 2018 report from the Wall Street Journal claimed Cohen had

paid Stormy $130,000 in 2016 to keep her from talking about the affair. The hush money allegations

eventually resulted in Donald Trump being slapped with 34 felony counts. And it's not over yet. Who knows what's going to happen

While he has denied everything, Melania is said to have been angry when news of the affair came

to light. According to a 2024 book by New York Times reporter Katie Rogers, she tried to get her

revenge through small gestures, like refusing to join her husband on a trip abroad

Not only did the Trumps have a low-key anniversary in the wake of the Stormy Daniels story

they also sent up some marriage red flags when Melania suddenly dropped out of a planned visit

to Switzerland for the president's attendance at the World Economic Forum. In a statement to CNN

Melania's communications director cited, quote, scheduling and logistical issues as the reason

for the first lady's change of plans. So what did Melania end up doing the day her husband

landed in Davos, she went to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, which just so happens to be a

six-minute car ride or 60-minute walk from the White House, according to Google Maps

Donald and Melania Trump have repeatedly been accused of being overly cold with one another

and in 2018, The Washington Post took those allegations one step further. Speaking to

numerous sources, the outlet reported that Melania and the president were leading completely separate

lives while in the White House. According to insiders, the pair did not share a bedroom

rarely ate together, and, as one source put it, they spend very little to no time together

On the flip side, a different source said they actually spent almost every evening together

while Melania's former friend, Stephanie Winston-Wolkoff, underscored the fact that the distance between the Trumps didn't signal any trouble in paradise. She said of the pair

they are not that couple that holds hands just because. Melania is old-world European

and it's not who she is. Indeed, back in 2016, Melania herself told the Washington Post that

she and her husband enjoyed being apart, saying, As one source told Radar Online in 2023 Melania isn interested in golfing or schmoozing like her husband is and they happy to spend time apart They told the publication

She mostly keeps to herself and stays out of Donald's way as long as he stays out of hers

It works for both of them. The Washington Post journalist Mary Jordan made headlines in 2020

when she published The Art of Her Deal, the untold story of Melania Trump, in which she

claimed that the real reason Melania didn't immediately move into the White House was pure

business. According to sources, Mrs. Trump seized her opportunity after her husband was elected

president to demand that he update their prenup. She allegedly forced him to make it more favorable

towards her and son, Barron Trump, if he wanted her to stick around. Jordan wrote

she wanted proof in writing that when it came to financial opportunities and inheritance

Barron would be treated as more of an equal to Trump's oldest three children. She's very smart. She's a chess player. She plays the long game

Melania's chief of staff, Stephanie Grisham, slammed the reports, telling CNN, this book belongs in the fiction genre

Jumped to 2023 when Donald was ordered to pay $5 million to E. Jean Carroll

who accused him of sexual assault and defamation, and Melania reportedly used the opportunity to

cash in again. Sources told Radar that this time, she threatened to renegotiate their prenup or even

file for divorce if Donald didn't up her monthly allowance and increase their son's inheritance

If he did, she promised to support his 2024 presidential run. The insider claimed

This really was a take-it-or-leave-it situation. Let's just say Melania was in no mood to negotiate

with Donald, and he knew full well there was no chance he was returning to the Oval Office without

her. The first half of 2023 was rough for Donald Trump. In March, he was indicted over an alleged

hush money payment made to Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. That April

he pled not guilty to the resulting 34 felony counts, but if he was hoping for support from

his wife, he didn't exactly get it. As one insider told People, she doesn't sympathize

with Donald's plight. But while Melania Trump didn't appear by his side in court and she never

made a public statement about the indictment, the office of Melania Trump's ex-account did tweet

that news outlets should stop assuming they know how she feels. They also issued a public request

writing, We ask readers to exercise caution and good judgment when determining whether or not

stories concerning the former First Lady are accurate. That June, Donald's legal woes worsened

when he was indicted on 37 federal charges in the classified documents saga. Again, Melania kept

quiet and sources told People she doesn't want anything to do with any of it. They also

underscored that she's moving forward without getting sucked into the legal battles, but she

reportedly does wish all of the charges against her husband would go away. An insider told the

magazine she wants his legal team to fight this to the end and hopefully end the fight. Meanwhile

Meanwhile, another source told Daily Mail, she is focused on her family and stands behind her husband, as she always has

Donald Trump has often praised his wife publicly, and yet it seems he has a strange way of celebrating

special occasions — when he celebrates them at all, that is. In January 2024, for example, the Trumps marked their 19th wedding anniversary, but rather

than tweeting about the milestone, the president was totally focused on the defamation trial

brought against him by E. Jean Carroll. to account by Newsweek, Trump spent January 22nd firing off a tirade of messages against

Carol and mentioned the retired journalist a whopping 46 times on Truth Social that day

without highlighting his marriage. A few weeks later, on Valentine's Day, the president again took a unique approach to romance when he turned a love letter to Melania

into a fundraising opportunity. In an email sent to supporters, Trump told his wife he loved her

and enthused, even after every single indictment, arrest, and witch hunt, you never left my side

He also thanked her for her unwavering support and shared, I wouldn't be the man I am today without your guidance, kindness, and warmth

Folks were then encouraged to click a huge red button with the words, Send Your Love, which allowed them to send a personalized message to Melania

as well as donate money to his campaign. It was a tale as old as time about ego, excess, and Donald's affairs

That fairy tale eventually crumbled, but there were a lot of pressures and components that went

into the Trumps' personal lives falling apart. Take a look inside the breakdown of Ivana and

Donald Trump's marriage. Ivana Trump was a model from Czechoslovakia who emigrated to Canada and

eventually made her way to New York City, where she met Donald Trump in 1976. According to the

New York Post, the duo's first encounter was at an Upper East Side bar

And frankly, I was dating a lot of people, and I was dating the most beautiful people in the world

and I get tired of it all of a sudden. I get tired." The entrepreneur was in a chivalrous mood, so he assisted the model in getting a table

for her party. Ivana remembered him saying, "'I'm Donald Trump, and I see you're looking for a table. I can help you.'

"'Donald always had a great hat on his shoulder, and I saw the potential.'

After a whirlwind courtship, the couple married in 1977 and became the toast of the town in

the 1980s, representing everything about the decade of excess. When Trump Tower opened in 1983, it became a symbol of their marriage — a glitzy, shiny

ivory tower of wealth sitting right there on Fifth Avenue. It brought a lot of attention

to the couple, and they basked in the adoration. But not everyone loved the new building. Fromers described it as a, quote, bold and brassy place

and went on to say, "...it's definitely not your average shopping mall. The gold signage on the 1983 building

practically screams, look at me. And look at me is exactly what the couple wanted everyone to do

From the society columns in the New York Times to the gossip columns in the New York Post

the media soaked up every single thing the Trumps did, from charity events to business deals

With the spotlight on him and his real estate holdings, Donald was seduced by more than money

His ego got bigger, and there was no shortage of women who would throw glances at one of the

most powerful men in New York. Several famous names were mentioned as rumored affairs — Peggy

Fleming, Catherine Oxenberg, Robin Givens, and Carol Ault. Auxenberg denied the gossip to People

magazine in 1990, saying, "'It's a complete joke as far as I'm concerned. I hardly know the man.'

Ault's talent manager had a similar frosty reaction when asked about the reported dalliance

telling the outlet, "'Donald Trump is a fortunate man, but he's not that fortunate.'

But we have to remember that Donald was the one who loved to talk to the press and loved seeing

his name in print. He even went as far as having an alter-ego named John Barron as a pretend

publicist. So maybe he was the one leaking those rumors to the tabloids? We may never know the real

truth, but the former vice president of the Trump Organization told PBS's Frontline

I don't think Donald was necessarily evasive with the press when he used his alter-ego John Barron

I think it gave him the opportunity to say things that he couldn't say as Donald Trump.

Ivana Trump was a hard worker who helped Donald put the Trump name on the map

She was smart as a whip, but Donald didn't want to share credit with his wife. He wanted all of

the accolades for himself. Ivana bragged to Vanity Fair in 1988 that her husband called her, quote

his twin as a woman. Even so, Donald certainly didn't give her enough respect

There's not a lot of disagreement because ultimately, Ivana does exactly as I tell her to do.

When she was running his Atlantic City casino hotel, Trump's Castle, he underpaid his wife by giving her $1 per year and an unlimited dress budget

according to Newsweek. Ivana rarely complained, though, because she felt like they were creating

an American dream together. Speaking about her job as CEO at Trump's Castle, she told Vanity Fair

We have nearly 4,000 employees, a payroll of $1.2 million a week. 10,000 people come every day to

the castle. We serve 13,000 covers, food and drink. It's like running a small city. You have to know

about housekeeping, laundry, entertainment, showgirls, orchestra, casino lounges, the health club, plus hotel marketing, casino marketing." Ivana knew all of that and more as she continued

to plug away at the Trump Organization to help build Donald empire We should have world fights but we really don We get along very well Donald reportedly met Marla Maples when he quote swaggered into her on Madison Avenue The Southern Belle told Vanity Fair in 1990

I had seen him at different places throughout the years and just said hello. I was just somebody he

shook hands with. The duo would see one another at Marble Collegiate Church on Fifth Avenue

Maples explained, Not that we went together, but we would both be there on occasion.

But at some point, it turned into a romantic situation. The Trump-Maples relationship became a full-blown affair that Trump did not hide from his colleagues

Casino Journal's managing editor at the time said, "...Donald was not really very discreet about it

He had her stay on the Trump Princess all summer except when Ivana came.

Though Donald might have thought Maples was just a fling, she told Vanity Fair that a more

defined relationship was, quote, "...something I'd been praying for for a long time.

And on ABC News' Journeys of Faith with Paula Faris podcast, Maple said she never considered herself the mistress of Donald Trump

She felt they had a deep connection, and she relied on her faith to see it through

She told Faris, "'Every step of the way I was praying, God, please be in this, please be in this

I do not want to be part of breaking anything up that has a chance.'" Ivana Trump's most important role in her life was being a mom to her three children

Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump. The kids spent most of their time with their

mother because Donald was too busy with his career — and Marla Maples

Ivana claimed to the New York Daily News, "'Donald wasn't really interested in the children until he could talk business with them

When they turned 21, I handed them over to him and said, here's the finished product, you can take them from here.

And remember, Ivana was not only raising their children at that time

but she was also running parts of the Trump Organization. So, she was busy, to say the least

In her 2017 book, Raising Trump, she explained that she was quite the disciplinarian when it

came to her very privileged offspring. She wrote, "...I showed them dignity, diligence, and determination by example, and gave them age-appropriate

responsibilities and rules, which they followed without question, or there'd be hell to pay.

With Donald allegedly running around with younger women, Ivana wanted to make herself

look better and underwent several surgeries to enhance her looks. And she made no secret about it

Ivana's plastic surgeon of choice was known to work with high-end celebrity clients such as Joan

Rivers, Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, and more, according to Vanity Fair. At the time of

Donald's alleged affair with Katherine Oxenberg, Ivana reportedly chose to emulate Oxenberg's look

A source told People magazine in 1990, Ivana knew Donald was serious about Katherine. Copying Katherine's face was the last desperate

move, but it didn't work. Of course, Ivana stayed mum about that first major plastic surgery

but Slyly told the entertainment outlet that, quote, if people can improve themselves, they should. Ivana did have an obsession with looking young

and she told Harper's Bazaar that while she enjoyed the wisdom that comes with age

she was often inspired by her daughter Ivanka Trump's youthfulness. She said

"...you take from them the looks and the clothing and the dressing. The younger generation keeps you

young." But Donald contributed to Ivana's fixation with looking young. Harper's alleged

that it was her then-husband who told her to, quote, never look a day over 28. That must have

been a lot of pressure on the mom of three in the public eye as she worked for the Trump Organization

During the holiday ski season in 1989, Marla Maples traveled to Aspen, Colorado

where Donald was vacationing with Ivana Trump and their three kids. And what happened next is New York City gossip history. Ivana had already caught wind that her

husband was canoodling with a woman in Aspen, but he told her that she was just, quote

a girl who was going after me for the last two years," according to Ivana's interview with Barbara

Walters. However, it was something more significant than that. Ivana confronted a friend of Maple's

in a restaurant line and told her, "'I understand from my husband that you have a friend which is after my husband for last two

years. Will you give her the message that I love my husband very much?

Of course, Donald's mistress was standing right next to the friend, and that's when this affair got a little too real. Ivana wrote in her Raising Trump memoir

"'This young blonde woman approached me out of the blue and said, "'I'm Marla, and I love your husband. Do you?' I said

"'Get lost. I love my husband.' It was unladylike, but I was in shock.

That confrontation would stay in the New York City tabloid headlines for 11 days straight

as the Trumps' marriage fell apart publicly. The return home from the Aspen vacation was not an easy one for Donald and Ivana Trump

The couple tried to stick it out for appearances and work on a half-hearted reconciliation

but they weren't fooling anyone. Friends and the press knew this marriage was over

Ivana wrote in Raising Trump, I can only shake my head at how insane it was. I couldn't turn on the television without hearing

my name. Donald's business trip to Tokyo in early February 1990 was the game-changer in

the relationship. Just before he left, Donald had his spokesperson relay a message to the media

According to Newsweek, that message was, "...he told Ivana it just was not working out.

He hadn't told Ivana his definitive plans, but word got back to his first wife and she got to work

Ivana got her ducks in a row and started the divorce proceedings

She and Donald were separated that month, and she officially filed for divorce in November

Donald did display a rare moment of emotion at the time, telling People Magazine

"'I love my children and I will always love Ivana. Right now, our paths have gone in different directions, but I would never do anything to hurt her.'

The couple fought over their prenuptial agreement because Ivana believed it needed

to be nullified, while Donald wanted it upheld. "'He took the divorce as a business deal, and he cannot lose.'

According to the New York Times, the prenup morphed over the years and was amended four times

likely from the marriage and the birth of their three kids. But the negotiations were anything

but easy, because Donald was deep in debt at the time, and Ivana wanted to make sure she wasn't

added to his long list of creditors. She also wanted to fight some of the stipulations in the

agreement, because it reportedly said, Should the couple split, she return everything — cars, furs, rings — that Mr. Trump might

give her during their marriage. According to the New York Daily News, Ivana said in a 1990 deposition

"'I remember the part about the gifts. I had been very hurt. I had been confused by it

I didn't understand the whole concept. Why I'm returning the gifts which are going to

be acquired by my husband and given to me during our marriage.'

Donald wasn't going to take any responsibility for that clause. He said it was his lawyer's fault

and the clause was removed. According to The New York Times, Ivana eventually walked away with $14 million

dollars, plus $650,000 in child support annually, and their Connecticut estate, an apartment in the

Trump Plaza, and the use of the 118-room Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida for one month a year

After Ivana, but before Melania, there was Marla. So why did the Donald split up with

small-town beauty queen? And did she really cheat on him? Here's why Marla Maples and

Donald Trump couldn't make it last. Even at the peak of their relationship

Marla Maples acknowledged she and Donald Trump led different lifestyles. Maples was born in 1963 in Cahutta, Georgia, which reported a population of 700 people in 2020

the highest recorded number since the town's beginnings. In 1990, Maples told Vanity Fair

I'm like of the soil of the country of a solid, firm belief in God

Maples also talked to Maximum Inc. about her childhood in 2011, telling the outlet

I recall climbing trees, wading through streams, chasing cattle through the pastures

and being bucked off a few old paint horses. It was a very healthy and earthy lifestyle

Sports, family, and church were the center of my life in Georgia. Oh I miss being out here in the country that for sure The small beauty pageant queen was the polar opposite of Trump a native of New York born 18 years earlier than she was Trump father

Fred Trump, was a businessman himself who had his own real estate empire that raked in millions for

Donald and his siblings. Maples never even saw the streets of New York until she moved there in 1985

Although she had ambitious career aspirations, Maples didn't know that type of wealth

Telling Vanity Fair in 1990, I would be happier living out on a farm away from everyone and not being in this concrete world

and here he is representing everything that some people think is very materialistic

Donald Trump's first daughter, Ivanka Trump, has famously been paraded around by her father

who referred to her as his favorite in a 2004 interview with New York Magazine

After acknowledging playing favorites when it comes to daddy's little girl, Donald then remembered his second daughter, Tiffany Trump, born 12 years after Ivanka in 1993

Tiffany is the fourth child of Donald and the only child of Marla Maples

He told the magazine, You know, I have another daughter with Marla named Tiffany

She's just a beautiful, great kid also, but it's very separate. When you have separate wives, it's sort of separate

Donald revealed his true feelings about Maples' pregnancy while chatting with Howard Stern in 2004

telling the shock jock, Honestly, I'm glad it happened. I have a great little daughter, Tiffany

But you know, at the time, it was like, excuse me, what happened? And then I said, well, what are we going to do about this? She said, are you serious? It's the

most beautiful day of our lives. I said, oh, great. In the midst of running multiple casinos

hotels, and housing developments, it's no surprise that Donald Trump might have been a little too

tied up to spend much time with daughter Tiffany Trump. When Tiffany was born, Donald's focus was

on taking his casinos public to make enough money to pay down some debts. Marla Maples opened up to

Us Weekly in 2016 on what it was like raising their daughter, telling the magazine, the challenge

was being able to balance being a working mom and being there for a child full-time. Her daddy loves

her, of course, but I was the parent. I was the parent that was there in the flesh and with her

all the time. Marla added that those years were amazing and brought her the greatest joy

Even prior to their divorce being finalized, Donald published a book that addressed his views

on love and marriage. He wrote in Trump, The Art of the Comeback, Marla was content when it was just

her, Tiffany, and me. I, on the other hand, realized that business needed to be taken care

of constantly. Maples retreated to California following their divorce and avoided the spotlight

in an attempt to give Tiffany an upbringing similar to her own. In the couple's prenuptial

agreement, Donald Trump presented himself as the pinnacle of wealth worth $1.17 billion

Despite that figure, Trump didn't agree to what Marla Maples initially asked for in the event of

divorce. Maples reportedly sought $25 million from Trump in a prenup, but settled for $1 million if

they separated within five years, plus another $1 million to put toward a home for her

In March 1994, just a few months after they were married, Maples told Vanity Fair

We basically came to an agreement that for the first few years we would agree on something and

then tear it up. So that way I feel that we have what he needs right now for his business

and then in five years I have what I need for a true marriage. Although Maples reportedly wasn't

a fan of prenuptial agreements and held off on signing one for some time, her desire to get

married trumped her hesitation. Both parties agreed to renegotiate the document after five

years. One expert told Vanity Fair in 1994 that Maples probably didn't understand what she was

getting herself into, saying, She thinks it's wonderful because after a few years, the agreement is going to expire

but let me tell you, it will either be extended after the five years or Trump is out of there

Conveniently enough for Trump, they separated after almost four years. Rumors of Marla Maples and Donald Trump dating began swirling while Donald was still married

to his first wife, Ivana Trump. But during his second marriage, it was Maples making headlines

after being caught with Donald's former bodyguard at the beach near Mar-a-Lago

Spencer Wagner was the bodyguard in question, and police found him with Maples on the beach at 4 in the morning on April 16, 1996

"...when a police officer on duty found Donald Trump's wife here, under a lifeguard stand

in the company of another man." Both Maples and Donald denied that anything happened, with Maples claiming she was just

taking a bathroom break. However, Donald fired Wagner four months after the incident

Wagner's ex-wife Mary Miller alleged that Maples was no innocent bystander, telling Inside Edition in 2016

He said she would try to pull him into a bedroom in the house, and she was aggressive

She just loved to party a lot. She liked to go out down to Miami and party when she was in town

Wagner's own story flipped over the years. At first, he also denied the affair

but later said that he and Maples were kissing on that fateful night. One year later, Donald and Maples announced their divorce

Marla Maples and Donald Trump separated in May 1997 and officially divorced in June 1999

A few months after their divorce, London's Daily Telegraph published an interview with Maples

and she offered some insight into why their marriage dissolved. Not only did she say that the marriage was, in her words, built on an illusion

she also said that Trump was never the man she wanted to marry. She told the newspaper

To top it off, the Daily Telegraph quoted Maples' description of her ex-husband as an obsessive

person driven by his ego. A spokeswoman for Maples claimed that the interviewer took quotes out of context

but didn't indicate which quotes specifically. Donald Trump appeared on The Howard Stern Show immediately post-divorce in 1999

and offered a low-key response to his feelings on Marla Maples and their settlement

Stern stirred the pot when he joked that he knew Donald would get divorced

because too many women were, quote, throwing themselves at him. Trump didn't confirm nor deny that claim, but coyly replied

Trump seemingly backpedaled on his comments, praising her, when he appeared on the show again

later the same year. Stern said he'd recently been looking at pictures of Maples and commented

She fell apart. You got rid of her just at the right time. Trump agreed, telling Stern

Just in time. Let's say that I'm very happy. In 2016, Marla Maples sat down with the hosts of Access Hollywood and spoke more on why her

marriage failed. Maples reiterated how different she and Donald Trump were, and said they simply

couldn't bring out the best in each other. Maples cited her Georgia roots, family values

and spiritual growth as reasons she and the business-minded tycoon had to move on from each

other. She even described things between them as a little bit combative during their relationship

explaining that she thought she could change him at the time. Girls when we're in our 20s, we want to change the men we're with

We just think, well, that love is going to make them a little softer. Per the New York Times, in May 1997, Donald Trump tipped off Gene McIntosh

a former deputy editor at Page Six, that he was splitting with Maples. Trump said that Marla's family, which he called an entourage of dumb Southerners

was essentially to blame for the divorce. He told McIntosh, Are you old enough to remember the show The Beverly Hillbillies

That's exactly her family, except they came to New York City instead of Beverly Hills

There's been plenty of opportunity to reveal the nitty-gritty on what went down in their

relationship, but Donald Trump's and Marla Maples' prenup and divorce settlement prohibit Maples

from revealing too much information. So when rumors of a tell-all memoir from Maples came about

it seemed too good to be true in light of their iron-clad confidentiality agreement

The book, titled It's About Time, reportedly never came to fruition because Maples failed

to get Trump to sign off on its publication. Maples reportedly even had a publisher ready

to get the book on shelves before the denial, according to Page Six. This marked the second

time that Maples had tried to tell her side of the story, as another book set to publish in 2001

All That Glitters Is Not Gold, never made it to shelves after both the publisher and Maples agreed

to not follow through with publication. With the possibility of any memoir leading Maples to face

a lawsuit. Considering the nondisclosure agreement she signed, fans can understand why she can be dodgy or vague when asked about her ex