Ivana, Marla, and Melania: What we know about Donald Trump's three wives (with photos).
On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump will once again become the President of the United States. Throughout his political career and business ventures, he has been accompanied by various women, three of whom he officially married. People reports on Trump's wives.
Ivana Trump
At the beginning of establishing his real estate empire, Donald Trump married his first wife, Ivana Trump. She gave birth to three children for the future President of the United States.
In 1976, Donald Trump met Ivana, born Ivana Zelníčková. At that time, she was living in Montreal, working as a model and ski instructor, having immigrated to Canada from Czechoslovakia beforehand. One evening in New York, during a dinner with a group of other models, Donald approached her. Thus began the couple's story.
The politician sent Ivana 100 roses and took her to lavish dinners.
3 The couple married three months later, on April 9, 1977, at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. Their honeymoon was spent in Mexico. On December 31, 1977, the couple's first anniversary, Ivana gave birth to their first child, Donald Jr. During their marriage, Donald and Ivana became parents to two more children. Their daughter Ivanka was born in 1981, and their youngest son Eric was born in 1984.
The lovebirds also became business partners. Shortly after their wedding, Donald Trump appointed Ivana as Vice President of Interior Design at the Commodore Hotel, which they were converting into the Grand Hyatt. She continued to assist her husband in building his real estate empire, contributing to the construction of Trump Tower and the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Later, Trump’s first wife became the president of the famous Plaza Hotel.
Their marriage lasted until 1989 when Ivana discovered the businessman’s infidelity with model Marla Maples. The latter approached Trump’s first wife and told her that she loved her husband.
4 Despite their scandalous divorce and property settlement, the couple maintained a friendly relationship. Ivana even attended Donald Trump's inauguration in 2017. Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman stated that the president "constantly" sought advice from Ivana during his first term.
When Ivana passed away on July 14, 2022, at the age of 73, Donald Trump described her as "a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman who led a remarkable and inspiring life."
Marla Maples
After his divorce from Ivana, Donald continued his relationship with Maples. Soon, Marla became pregnant with the politician's fourth child. In 1993, they welcomed their daughter Tiffany, and a few months later, Donald and Maples got married.
Their marriage lasted only a few years, and they divorced in 1997. Their divorce proceedings lasted two years in court — during which Donald Trump met his current wife, Melania Trump.
5 The businessman met Marla during a celebrity tennis match in 1985 when he was still married to his first wife. Initially, the couple were just friends, but eventually, a romantic relationship developed, which they kept secret.
Trump and Maples married on December 20, 1993, in an extravagant ceremony in the grand ballroom of the Plaza Hotel. The event was attended by 1,000 guests. The bride wore a Carolina Herrera dress and a Harry Winston tiara valued at $2 million.
6 They divorced in May 1997. Maples later stated that they "differed" in their views of the world and how they wanted to raise their child.
With his second wife, Trump also remained on good terms after their breakup.
Melania Trump
The Slovenian-born model became Trump's third wife and had the honor of being the First Lady of the United States, and she would do so for a second time.
The couple dated for several years before finally marrying in 2005, and the following year, Melania gave birth to their son Barron.
7 Donald proposed to Melania at the Met Gala in 2004. On January 22, 2005, Trump and Melania officially married at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Church in Palm Beach, Florida.
8 In 2017, Donald Trump was officially elected as the President of the United States for the first time, and Melania became the first First Lady born abroad since 1829. She continued to live in New York for the first few months of her husband's presidency while Barron finished the school year, but eventually moved to the White House.
As a reminder, Melania Trump met with the Queen of Jordan.