Donald Trump & Marla Maples' Divorce Doesn't Seem As Messy As We Thought

Donald Trump has been married three times, and his marriage to Marla Maples, his second wife, was the shortest of them all. Less than four years after their December 1993 wedding, the couple had already split. Their divorce proceedings took years to complete, and reportedly a lot of the hang-ups involved their prenup. Decades later, Maples revealed that she hadn't been particularly happy with these stipulations from the start. While reports from their 1999 divorce made it sound like Maples was getting a lot less than she was entitled to, the $2 million she received had been part of the prenup's conditions.

Despite this litigation drama, things were actually pretty convivial between the pair. When an outlet quoted Maples reportedly making scathing remarks about Trump months after their divorce, she publicly contested the article, and even took the time to reach out to Trump.

Years later, their relationship appears to be thriving. "Anything from the past I've forgiven," Maples informed The Standard in 2024. "Marriages are challenging, especially when you play them out in the media." Beyond forgiveness, Maples has been an outspoken advocate for her ex, offering her support as he's faced court debacles. She was also a staunch supporter during his 2024 presidential campaign. "This is my daughter's father and they are spreading such horrific lies about him," Maples vented in an October 2024 post on X, formerly Twitter, before encouraging readers to choose Trump. Maples later celebrated his win with social media posts on election night. 

As it turns out, the beginning of Donald Trump and Marla Maples' romance was pretty complicated. At first, since Donald was already married, Maples drew the line at friendship and encouraged him to repair his relationship with Ivana Trump. Gradually, however, Maples' connection with Donald morphed into an affair. Although Donald was seemingly content with this situation, it didn't last. After the tension of keeping their romance under wraps, Vanity Fair reported in 1990 that Maples exclaimed,"It's out, it's out! It's finally out!" after Ivana publicly approached her.

Even then, things weren't straightforward. Donald and Ivana's divorce was messy, and Maples and Donald ended their relationship multiple times, including after they got engaged. They also had clashing views on the prospect of having a child together. When Maples surprised Donald with the news that she was pregnant, his lack of enthusiasm was a potential red flag. "I said, 'Well, what are we going to do about this?'" Donald recounted to Howard Stern (via Newsweek). "She [Maples] said, 'Are you serious? It's the most beautiful day of our lives.'" Although Trump admitted in the interview that he was happy about his youngest daughter's arrival, he and Tiffany have had a complicated relationship over the years.

After becoming a parent again, Donald was still on the fence about plunging into matrimony with Maples. Maples was reportedly eager to marry, although Donald's prenup was a sticking point. However, once Donald decided he was ready, the couple's wedding took place within weeks.