Hi, Subscriber

Where Is Marla Maples Now?: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

  • 1 Shares
  • Updated

Donald Trump, now the Republican nominee for president, has put his family and wife, Melania, front-and-center at the Republican National Convention. But what happened to Marla Maples, his second wife, and the mother of their daughter, Tiffany Trump?

Those who were around in the late 1980s and early 1990s likely remember the Donald Trump/Marla Maples tabloid drama, which resulted from Trump’s alleged affair with Marla while married to his first wife, Ivana. He divorced Ivana, married Marla, and then divorced Marla, before moving on to his third wife, Melania, who had her own dramas at the convention when passages from her RNC speech turned out to be similar to a speech given by Michelle Obama.

But what happened to Marla Maples? It turns out that she was at the convention, on the day of Tiffany’s speech, although the appearance was low key (see photo above).

Throughout the years, she’s also spoken about her brief marriage to the real estate mogul:

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Marla & Trump’s First Wife, Ivana, Had a Famous Confrontation on a Ski Slope

There are conflicting stories about how Marla met Donald Trump, says The New York Daily News. The newspaper said they met “on the street,” but publicists said they met at Marble Collegiate Church. The relationship became public during a 1989 ski trip to Aspen. Donald Trump was still married to his first wife, Ivana, and they were very high-profile in New York, “larger than Dynasty,” says People Magazine.

Ivana was also the mother of Trump’s first three children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric. Both Ivana and Marla were in Aspen; People Magazine says Ivana confronted Maples after learning she was also vacationing there, and said, “You bitch, leave my husband alone,” according to The Mercury News. Donald Trump “heard the confrontation, grabbed his skis and took off down the mountain,” but Ivana caught up, and “wagged her finger in his face,” added The Mercury News. Soon, the couple was divorced.

2. Marla Married Trump But Was ‘Dumped’ By Him Within Six Years

USA Today says that Marla and Donald Trump married in 1993, and Tiffany, their only child, was born two months before the wedding. They divorced six years later, and “Maples raised Tiffany in California.”

According to a 1991 New York Daily News article, Maples was “unceremoniously dumped by The Donald,” but still refused to call him a jerk, even though he was spotted partying with a 21-year-old fashion model. She told the newspaper she was trying to think positively. When he married her, Trump gave Marla a 7.45-karat diamond, said The Daily News. The article said Trump and Marla had stopped getting along. Maples denied reports she had an affair with a bodyguard after they were seen together on a beach near Trump’s estate.

3. Marla Moved to California, Where She Raised Tiffany Largely On Her Own

The Mercury News says that Trump paid for Tiffany’s education but otherwise wasn’t around much during her childhood, as Maples raised the child largely on her own (Trump also has a son, Barron, with his third and current wife, Melania). She has embraced the California lifestyle and frequently posts on healthy eating.

Marla, now 52, told People Magazine that she was proud of Tiffany’s handling of the public spotlight as Tiffany has been seen more frequently at presidential campaign appearances.

Maples pointed out to People Magazine that Tiffany is only 22 and said, “To get up and speak your heart in front of the world’s stage is not easy, so I can’t explain how proud I felt watching my daughter who’s just 22 appear so poised and confident as she shared her light with everyone.”

4. Marla Appeared on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ & Has a Net Worth of $20 Million, Reports Say

Marla appeared on the 2016 season of Dancing With the Stars. She was paired with with dancer Tony Dovolani. She told People Magazine it broke her heart when they were eliminated in April 2016.

Marla Maples is worth $20 million, says GoNetWorth. She was born in Georgia to a real estate father and a homemaker and is a distant cousin of actress Heather Locklear, the site says. Her Instagram posts are filled with comments about staying positive. Maples has said she still loves Trump.

In 2013, Maples sold her Calabasas, California home for $2.2 million, earning an $850,000 profit, reports Trulia. The site said Maples was moving back to New York and that the home had a basketball court and swimming pool.

Maples has appeared in the movies “Maximum Overdrive” and “Executive Decision” and has guest starred on TV shows, such “The Nanny,” says Gonetworth.

5. Tiffany Trump Is Marla’s Only Child & Donald & Melania Joined Her at Tiffany’s Graduation

When Tiffany graduated from college, Melania Trump joined Marla, Donald, and Donald’s daughter with Ivana, Ivanka, according to Inside Edition.
Marla wrote about on social media sharing warm memories with Ivanka.

Tiffany attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a double major in sociology and urban studies, said USA Today. In May 2016, Trump posted a photo of himself eating a taco on social media, and people pointed out that there was a magazine with an old bikini photo of Marla on his desk.

In spring 2016, People Magazine said Ivana had told The New York Post that she wouldn’t accept an apology from Maples because “She broke my marriage!” Maples responded that she felt sad by the comment because “I wish her nothing but love. I love her kids….” according to People.

Tiffany is an Ivy League grad who once wanted to be a pop star, said USA Today. Marla frequently posts throwback photos of Tiffany:

Jessica McBride is a news reporter covering breaking news, politics and crime for Heavy. She is a former reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Waukesha Freeman newspapers in Wisconsin and is a senior journalism instructor at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. More about Jessica McBride

  • Published
Read More
, , , ,