5 Times Marla Maples Showed Her Cringey Vibes Fit Right In With The Trumps

In a classic case of "living well is the best revenge," Marla Maples' post-divorce life proves she never needed Donald Trump in the first place. The actress and former model was married to the real estate mogul long before he had presidential aspirations, and their four-year union produced daughter Tiffany Trump. Maples went on to become an influencer for physical, spiritual, and mental health through her philanthropic work, website, podcasts, and the Global Wellness Forum, a grassroots organization she co-founded. "Whether in sacred spaces or the public eye, Marla continues to serve her mission: to uplift humanity, illuminate truth, and bring more Light to the world," her bio declares. 

Maples and Trump couldn't be more different if they tried. She's a devout Christian who works out regularly and avoids processed food; he's an occasional golfer and McDonald's devotee who once held a Bible upside down for a photo op. Yet both insist they're all about helping average folks. In truth, it's equally cringey on the part of both the president and his second ex. Maples takes a gentle peace-and-love approach, as opposed to Trump's tough-guy attitude, but it doesn't alter the fact that they're one-percenters who live well and promote expensive merch in the name of furthering their brand. ($25 raw pine honey and $190 cleanse supplements are just two of the products Maples recommends.) The following are some of the other ways the influencer embodies the vibe of Trump and his family.

The term "tree-hugger" is usually used as a mocking insult to people who appreciate nature. To Marla Maples, it's a compliment. As befits someone who's named for a tree, she literally spends time bonding with "these beautiful living beings," as she calls them. An Instagram post from April 2025 showed her visiting New York's Central Park to get a dose of its acres of greenery. "You know me: I often hug a big beautiful tree," she said, lovingly touching the bark of a nearby trunk. "It's so good for you to ground yourself. Be in nature. Let it heal you." 

Her sentiments are very similar to those expressed by her stepdaughter. Ivanka Trump has transformed herself from a no-nonsense businesswoman and presidential advisor to a softer earth-mother image; she meditates, promotes healthy eating, and rhapsodizes over her many outings to the beach, desert, and other outdoor locations where she can commune with nature. Yet both Maples and the Trump daughter stay oddly silent on the president's anti-environmental actions. A commenter on Maples' tree-bonding video confronted her: "How do you feel about the 280 million acres of national forests in our national parks that are now going to be cut down with the stroke of a presidential pen?" Another follower wondered if she had any thoughts about her ex's lifting a ban on commercial fishing near American Samoa, enacted to protect native species of sea life in the affected zone. It seems Marla's and Ivanka's concern for the planet stops short of urging the leader of the free world to take better care of it himself.

Marla Maples' holistic beliefs appear to extend to education. On a now-expired Instagram Story, the wellness influencer posted a reel featuring images of children exploring natural environments and creating artwork in their homes. The narration began, "School was one of the greatest scams ever invented," and from there, it went on to slam public schools as factories designed to discourage independence and critical thinking. The message was clear: Good parents either homeschool their kids or find alternate schools with organic teaching methods.

Yet Maples didn't follow that advice when she was raising her daughter. As a child, Tiffany Trump attended the Viewpoint School, a private academy in California where tuition currently starts at $45,480, not including textbooks, uniforms, meals, afterschool activities, and other expenses. From there, the first daughter went on to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, which costs roughly $96,000 per year, and earn her JD from Georgetown Law School at approximately $119,000 annually. That's a lot of (very expensive) traditional classroom time. If Maples regrets not letting Tiffany get her learning by playing on the beach and copying Van Gogh paintings in the living room with her Crayolas, she's never said so.

Marla Maples became a first-time grandmother on May 15, 2025, when daughter Tiffany gave birth to a healthy boy. (Tiffany's baby's name is sure to be an ego boost to dad Donald; he's Alexander Trump Boulos.) "The best days of all are spent with tiny feet and tiny toes," she gushed on Instagram. But her social media account also shows she's a good friend of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the president's controversial pick to head the federal Department of Health and Human Services. In particular, Maples backs RFK Jr.'s claim that childhood vaccines are linked to autism. She shared a post from the Global Wellness Forum promoting the discredited theory and calling for immunization to be entirely a parental choice, rather than a requirement for schools and camps. "Pray for our children... pray that every parents' [sic] eyes will be open and together we can stop this," Maples wrote in the comments. 

It's troubling enough that the administration is casting doubt on an established health measure against dangerous childhood diseases. But in Maples' case, it also poses an intriguing dilemma. Is she urging her daughter to rethink having Alexander vaccinated on the standard schedule? Or is she keeping quiet so as not to seem like a pushy grandma? Either way, she knows her grandson will always get the best medical care money can buy. Not everyone can say the same.

All the live-natural, peace-and-faith messaging doesn't negate the fact that Marla Maples still leads a more privileged life than most of the audience she preaches to. Reportedly, Maples received some $2 million from Donald Trump after their divorce, plus child support for daughter Tiffany until she reached maturity. This, plus Maples' work and sponsorships, ensures she can continue to enjoy the perks of wealth. She appears frequently at events such as New York Fashion Week and the Grammy Awards (she's seen here in a stunning purple gown); Maples even got an invite to the black-tie events surrounding her ex's second inauguration. Perhaps addressing the haters, Maples reposted a video of herself at various social occasions with the musician DPAK. "They say, 'Why are you partying? Don't you know the world is burning?'" the caption began. The post went on to defend the socializing as a necessary break from the hard work of exposing corruption, not to mention being a "sacred rebellion of truth" (whatever that means).

No one is begrudging the president's second ex-wife a little fun now and then. But dancing at ritzy clubs and posing for paparazzi at major awards events isn't quite the same as barbecuing at a block party or meeting a pal at the local watering hole. Plus, there are plenty of people who don't have the time or money even for those modest time-outs. Trying to pass herself off as a regular gal just makes Maples look even more out of touch than she actually is.

To her credit, Marla Maples hasn't fallen victim to the dreaded "Mar-a-Lago face" trend. Reportedly inspired by first daughter Ivanka Trump, the look involves fillers, facelifts, and other enhancements that result in scary eyebrows, unnaturally puffy lips, and jutting cheekbones. Many important women in President Trump's sphere, such as Karoline Leavitt and Kimberly Guilfoyle, are thought to have transformed themselves in that manner. Maples hasn't gone quite that far, but that doesn't mean she doesn't get a little help to achieve her ageless look. As she revealed on Instagram, she's a proponent of EmFace, a nonsurgical treatment which "uses [radiofrequency] and [high intensity electromagnetic energy] technology to lift, tighten, and smooth the face by toning the underlying muscles and boosting collagen," according to the Centner Wellness facility Maples frequents.

But all that natural beauty doesn't come cheap. EmFace costs up to $1,200 per session, and it usually takes a few sessions to see maximum results. True to the style of Trump women, Maples spends more on her glow-up in a day than most women spend in a year (or many more!) at the cosmetics counter. Once again, her attempts to seem casual about her privilege fell flatter than her famous marriage.