Donald Trump is having a tumultuous year as he campaigns to return to the role of President of the United States. Already, he's been found guilty of federal crimes by a New York judge, has survived multiple assassination attempts, and continues to be neck and neck in the polls with Kamala Harris.
The former President has been supported by his wife, Melania, especially since the attempt on his life. The former First Lady said of the moment: "When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron's life, were on the brink of devastating change."
She added: "I am grateful to the brave secret service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband."
But Melania isn't Donald's first wife — the former president and businessman has been married twice before he settled down with the 54-year-old former model.
Here's everything you need to know about about Donald's three marriages with Ivana, Marla, and Melania.
Ivana Trump
© gettyDonald married Czech-American model Ivana Trump in 1977, her second marriage and his first.
Originally, she'd married Austrian ski instructor Alfred Winklmayr with the goal of gaining Austrian citizenship and being able to leave Czechoslovakia without defection so she could return to visit her parents. After marrying in 1971 and receiving her Austrian passport in 1972, she obtained an absentee divorce from the ski instructor in Los Angeles, California where he had moved to teach skiing in 1973.
She met Donald in 1976, when she was in New York with a group of models. The couple married the following year at Marble Collegiate Church, in a wedding officiated by Norman Vincent Peale. Not long after marrying, Ivana gave birth to Donald Jr.
© Ron GalellaWhile the couple were subject to tabloid attention throughout the 1980s, Ivana would go on to help her husband in a number of legacy-making projects, such as the creation of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, the renovation of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City, and New Jersey's Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort.
They welcomed Ivana Marie, better known as Ivanka, in 1981, and would then have Eric in 1984. As well as being a socialite, Ivana was a model and a businesswoman who held key managerial positions within the Trump Organization.
© Duffy-Marie ArnoultTheir marriage reportedly went sour when Ivana encountered Trump's mistress, Marla Maples in 1989. Trump would then reportedly lock Ivana out of her office at the Plaza Hotel, leading to a legal battle over the legitimacy of the four prenuptial agreements they had negotiated over the years.
Their divorce received worldwide attention, but ended with an uncontested divorce being granted on the grounds of cruel and inhumane treatment by Donald. She signed an NDA as a condition of the divorce, and was required to seek her ex-husband's permission before publicly discussing their marriage.
© James DevaneyAs part of the settlement, Ivana received $14 million, a 45-room Connecticut mansion, an apartment in the Trump Plaza, and the use of Mar-a-Lago for one month a year. She would maintain a good relationship with Donald over the years, with him reportedly even asking her advice while in office. He attended her funeral in 2022.
Marla Maples
© Vinnie ZuffanteDonald initiated a relationship with actress and model Marla Maples, after meeting in 1984. Their relationship began while he was still married to Ivana, and was subject to publicity - with the New York Post famously revealing that Marla called Donald the "best sex I've ever had", a statement she would later deny making.
© Sonia MoskowitzThe couple welcomed Tiffany Trump in 1993, marrying two months later. In the extravagant Plaza wedding, she wore a Carolina Herrera gown and a Harry Winston tiara worth $2 million.
Marla and Donald separated in 1997, which set into a two year battle over the prenuptial agreement, before the model decided to walk away to spare herself of any "further emotional and physical turmoil".
© Nordin CaticIt was revealed two decades later that she only received $1 million, plus an additional $1 million to buy a house. She would later auction off her engagement ring to generate funds for herself. But it seems there are no hard feelings, as they spent Easter together in April 2023.
Melania Trump
© Ron GalellaDonald first met Melania while he was wrapping up his divorce with Marla, in 1998 at a party. He requested her number, which she turned down because he had arrived with another woman.
© Alon SkuyAfter a rocky start, Donald proposed to Melania at the 2004 Met Gala. In 2005, they would tie the knot in Palm Beach, saying "I do" in front of the likes of Rudy Giuliani, Regis Philbin, and former President Bill Clinton. Billy Joel was there to serenade them as they danced the night away at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
The couple welcomed Barron Trump in 2006, and Melania kept a low profile as she attempted to raise their son outside of the public eye.
© Alex WongWhen Donald announced his intentions to run for president in 2015, Melania was "100 percent" in support of her husband, but opted to stay back at home to raise Barron. She became the first foreign-born first lady since 1829 - and the first naturalized citizen, stating her plans to be "different than any other first ladies."
During the first few months of Donald's presidency, she stayed in New York to oversee Barron's transition through the school year before they eventually moved into the White House. Early on she re-negotiated her prenuptial agreement to reflect the major change in their lives, ensuring that Barron received a suitable inheritance.
While she tended to stay out of the spotlight as first lady, in 2018 she announced her Be Best awareness campaign to support the welfare of children, advocate against cyberbullying, and prevent opioid abuse.
While Donald was on trial for hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels about an alleged affair, Melania remained in Mar-a-lago overseeing her son's education as he graduated from high school this year. The couple were spotted together at their son's graduation and remain a couple.
Melania released a memoir of her life, Melania, which is reportedly a New York Times bestseller.
