A messy affair and tight prenups: A history of Donald Trump’s three marriages

Former President of the United States Donald Trump was known for being a partying bachelor of a real estate empire before he decided to run for office.

But despite his behaviour, the now 76-year-old has three marriages under his belt – and some may be surprised he doesn’t have more.

Keep scrolling to learn more about his marriages to Ivana Trump and Marla Maples as well as his current relationship with third wife, Melania Trump.

Ivana Trump (1977-1992)

The late former model from Zlín in Czechia is the businessman’s first wife.

Ivana revealed to the New York Post that they met in a New York Upper East Side bar.

“[There’s] this tall blond guy with blue eyes. He said, ‘I’m Donald Trump, and I see you’re looking for a table. I can help you,'” she previously recalled. “I look at my friends and said, ‘The good news is, we’re going to get a table real fast. The bad news is, this guy is going to be sitting with us.'”

But it didn’t take long for them to hit it off, and in 1977 they married in a secret ceremony that was so private there were no public pictures from the event.

Donald and Ivana were married for 14 years and welcomed three children together: Donald Junior, Ivanka, and Eric.

However, their tabloid marriage came crashing down when Trump had an affair with his soon-to-be second wife, Marla Maples, in 1989.

Decades after the very public break up, Ivana still harboured animosity towards the actress.

In 2017 she told CBS This Morning, “I don’t talk about her. She’s a showgirl. Never achieve anything in her life.”

The mother-of-three received $14 million from Trump when they divorced, but it was reported that Ivana wanted more money.

Even though her marriage to the billionaire went sour, she managed to move on to multiple husbands.

Ivana was married four times in her life, with her first marriage to Alfred Winklmayr taking place before Trump from 1971 to 1973.

Her third husband was Italian businessman Ricardo Mazzucchelli from 1995-1997, and her fourth and final husband was Italian actor Rossano Rubicondi from 2008-2009.

In July 2022, however, Ivana passed away aged 73. The former President’s first wife was found “unconscious and unresponsive at the bottom of a set of stairs in her apartment” by police conducting a welfare check.

Marla Maples (1993-1999)

When Marla was asked by Vanity Fair in 1990 about her affair with Trump whilst he was married to Ivana, she said, “I feel for her.”

“I think she must have known in her heart it wasn’t about me. There would never have been any discussion of my and Donald’s friendship if things had been good… I was his friend for so long and I constantly said to him, ‘Stay and make it work. Don’t give up the marriage—you’ve got your kids.'”

The couple wed in a lavish ceremony at the Plaza in 1993, two months after welcoming their only child, Tiffany Trump.

Trump was reportedly adamant that they couldn’t walk down the aisle until a strong prenup secured his assets.

The couple’s relationship was short-lived, and during an interview with Access Hollywood Live, Marla spoke candidly about how she tried to save their marriage.

“I think you always hope in marriage to bring out the best in each other, but after many years we realised, we weren’t,” she said. “And then you have to move on… And you know girls in your twenties, you think you can change them in a way.”

The most notable asset she received from the divorce was a $250,000 engagement ring.

Melania Trump (2005-Present)

Melania met the former President at the tail end of his divorce from Marla at a New York City party.

They got married in front of 350 guests with high-profile attendees, including the Clintons, Billy Joel, Simon Cowell, and Barbara Walters.

In 2016, journalist Joseph O’Neill wrote in the New Yorker: “The newlyweds looked very pleased and happy as they walked back from the altar.”

The couple has one child, a son called Barron, who was his only child to live in the White House with Trump and Melania.