Donald Trump Wives Before Melania Trump: What Happened With Ivana Trump and Marla Maples? 

Donald Trump’s personal life, especially his marriages, have been making as many headlines as his political career—sometimes even more! Before Melania Trump became his ‘forever,’ there were two other women who held the title of ‘Mrs. Trump’: Ivana Zelníčková and Marla Maples.

Zelnickova, his first wife, helped him build his empire but was blindsided by an affair. Maples, his second wife, went from ‘secret girlfriend’ to ‘wife’ but had to deal with some serious public scandals.

And then, we have Melania Trump, the current First Lady, who came into the picture after all the drama and is still keeping things low-key while dealing with her own share of challenges.

Intrigued yet? Well, there’s more to come. Let’s break down the whirlwind relationships, dramatic breakups, and secrets of Donald John Trump’s love life.

Donald Trump’s First Wife—Ivana Zelníčková

It was in 1976 when Donald Trump met Ivana Zelníčková, a model and ski instructor from Czechoslovakia. At the time, Zelníčková was living in Montreal, having moved to Canada a few years earlier.

In her memoir, Raising Trump: Family Values from America’s First Mother, Zelníčková wrote that she wasn’t looking for a relationship, but destiny had other plans. Trump, always a man on a mission, noticed her while she was having dinner with a group of models. 

He immediately got them the best table in the restaurant and joined them for the meal. According to the Czech model, they made polite small talk with no flirting. Trump was smart enough to know that wouldn’t work on her, so he kept it respectful and acted like a true gentleman.

Even though Zelníčková was casually seeing someone in Montreal and had no intention of getting serious, Trump wasn’t ready to give up. He sent her 100 roses and took her to fancy dinners. When she returned to Montreal, he called her “every other day” for three months straight.

To top it off, he even flew to Canada to surprise her at a fashion show she was walking in. As time passed, Zelníčková became more and more intrigued by him. Around Christmas, Trump asked her to join him for a vacation in Aspen, and they spent what she described as the “most romantic time” together.

On New Year’s Eve, he told her, “If you don’t marry me, you’ll ruin your life.” They had only known each other a few months, but Zelníčková, caught up in the whirlwind, said yes.

The couple got married just three months later, on April 9, 1977, at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. They spent their honeymoon in Mexico, and just a few months later, Zelníčková found out she was pregnant. 

Their first son, Donald Jr., was born on December 31, 1977, exactly one year after their engagement. Over the years, the couple had two more children—Ivanka in 1981 and Eric in 1984. But not everything was smooth sailing. 

When Did Donald Trump and Ivana Zelníčková Divorce?

In 1989, Zelníčková found out that Trump had been having an affair with Marla Maples, a model. Things came to a head during a holiday trip to Aspen in 1989. Trump had flown Maples out, and Zelníčková, clearly aware of the affair, confronted her.

After the Aspen drama, Zelníčková filed for divorce in 1990. And boy, the legal fireworks started. According to The New York Times, she had a prenup capping her payout at $25 million, but her lawyer wasn’t having it. 

He argued it was unfair, especially considering Zelníčková helped build Trump’s empire. The court battle dragged on for what felt like forever, but eventually, they settled. Zelníčková left the Trump Organization, ready for her next chapter.

Despite the mess, the two kept it cool for their kids. Over time, they even became friends again. In 2017, Zelníčková was there at Trump’s presidential inauguration. She was also his go-to advisor while he was in office.

When she passed away in 2022, Trump praised her as a “wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman” in a statement on his platform Truth Social (via CNN). Their marriage may have ended with some serious drama, but they kept a bond that lasted long after the storm.

Donald Trump’s Second Wife—Marla Maples

Trump met Marla Maples at a celebrity tennis match while still married to Zelníčková. At first, they were just friends, but things quickly turned romantic—though they kept it on the down-low. By 1989, their relationship was no longer a secret. 

Less than a year later, in March 1990, Trump and Zelníčková split. The media had a field day with their high-profile divorce, and Maples’ relationship with Trump was front and center.

Despite the media circus, they continued their on-again, off-again relationship. In 1993, Maples became pregnant, and their daughter, Tiffany, was born on October 13. According to PEOPLE, Maples called her the “greatest unplanned surprise.” 

Even though Trump had previously said he didn’t plan to remarry, the couple tied the knot just after Tiffany’s birth on December 20, 1993, at an extravagant wedding in the Plaza Hotel. But, as with many of the politician’s relationships, the marriage didn’t last. Their divorce dragged on for two more years in court. 

When Did Donald Trump and Marla Maples Divorce? 

Maples had signed a prenuptial agreement but later claimed she didn’t have enough time to properly review it. In the end, she decided to walk away from the legal battle to avoid more emotional and physical stress. 

It later came out that, since their marriage lasted under five years, she received just $1 million and another $1 million for a house, which she wasn’t exactly thrilled about. Maples even auctioned off her engagement ring and other items to help pay the bills, laughing off any notion that she walked away with a fortune, per PEOPLE.

Now, years later, the two are on friendly terms. In 2013, Maples appeared on Oprah’s Where Are They Now? and said, “I still love Donald. I love Eric, Ivanka, and Donnie so much.” In 2023, the former couple even spent Easter together. 

Donald Trump’s Third Wife—Melania Trump

So, while Trump was still in the middle of his divorce from Marla Maples, he met Melania Melania (now Trump) in 1998. They started dating soon after, but not without some drama. Melania reportedly broke up with Trump when she saw one of his ex-girlfriends leaving his apartment. 

Then, in 2000, the New York Post reported they had split up, but just a few weeks later, they were back together. Melania even gushed about Trump, calling him “handsome and strong.”

Fast forward to January 2005, they got married in a gorgeous ceremony at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Palm Beach, Florida. Their reception at Mar-a-Lago was a party for the ages, with Billy Joel serenading everyone.

Later that year, they announced they were expecting their first child. By March 2006, they welcomed Barron Trump into the world, and Trump got to use the name he always wanted for a son.

Donald Trump’s Alleged Affair with Stormy Daniels Despite Being Married

Back in 2006, Trump, who would later become president, allegedly had a one-night affair with Stormy Daniels, an adult film star. Fast forward to 2018, and suddenly, the story hits the headlines.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels $130,000 in hush money just before the 2016 presidential election. The idea was simple: pay her off to keep quiet about the alleged affair so it wouldn’t mess with Trump’s campaign.

But that’s not all. Another woman, Karen McDougal, came forward with her own story. McDougal, a former Playboy Playmate, claimed that she had an affair with Trump too. Her relationship with him supposedly started in June 2006 and lasted almost a year.

This was around the same time as the alleged fling with Daniels. When these accusations came out, the White House, of course, denied everything. They insisted there were no affairs or any kind of wrongdoing. It was all just rumors, according to them.

But despite all the denials, the situation only seemed to grow more complicated with every new detail that came out. And with all the payments, cover-ups, and changing stories, it became one of the biggest scandals of Trump’s career—something that definitely caught the public’s attention.

How Did Melania Trump React to the Stormy Daniels-Donald Trump Situation?

Melania didn’t say much about it—she was reportedly fuming inside but kept her cool. As reported by PEOPLE, she even slept in a separate bedroom from Trump. Sources said they spent little time together, though Melania’s spokesperson denied that.

After leaving the White House in early 2021, Melania has kept a super low profile. The family moved to Mar-a-Lago, where she’s focused on raising Barron and staying out of the drama.

A source told the outlet in 2023 that she’s loving her quiet life, staying around people who “never talk about reality, or bad things about her husband.” But she’s still not happy about the whole hush money scandal. As for the 2024 election, the former first lady of the U.S. has been actively helping Trump.