Okay, so let's say Donald Trump ends up behind bars — where does
Melania go next? As it turns out, pretty much anything could happen…
In June 2023, sources told Page Six that Melania Trump has no plans to abandon her
husband — no matter how his legal troubles pan out. According to the outlet's tipsters,
the former first lady may be ready to "stand by her man." Many would
point out that Melania's absence during Donald Trump's various indictments and
arraignments speaks volumes, but one Page Six source refuted this. They claimed:
"Melania is standing by her husband, but quietly and privately. He's been
on the phone with Melania, who's supporting him 100 percent."
Other sources pointed out that Melania is very much used to Trump's legal woes,
and that the various indictments haven't come as a surprise to either of them. One claimed:
"She is used to this. They are used to dealing with this stuff."
But should Trump go to prison, Melania will have to get used
to a whole new reality. Will she still "stand by her man" then?
If the aforementioned sources are to be believed, she might. One told Page Six:
"Melania knows what she signed up for. She is in a wait-and-see position. He'll either
be in prison or be president. Or both. It's not a time for fighting within the family."
Could Trump do both, though? Legal expert Richard L. Hasen told CNN that there's no
law prohibiting Trump from running the country from prison. Although,
let's face it, that's probably not the most likely outcome here.
Melania Trump may very well be supportive behind the scenes, but the optics tell an
entirely different story. For example, she wasn't with her husband when the second indictment was
brought against him in June 2023. While Trump was at a golf club in New Jersey at the time,
Melania was walking the streets of New York City. According to the New
York Post, she appeared to look "unbothered." But was she really?
Before Trump received his first indictment, former White House press secretary Stephanie
Grisham predicted that Melania would not be much of a cheerleader for the
former president. Speaking to Inside Edition, Grisham, who was also Melania's chief of staff,
was confident that Melania wouldn't go out of her way to show public support if Trump were indicted.
"She's not lending him a whole lot of moral support. And I'm
sure she's still thinking about, you got yourself into this mess."
On the flip side, Trump maintains that this is how
he prefers things. He told the John Fredericks Show:
"I try and keep [Melania and Barron] shielded and out of it."
Time and time again, Donald and Melania Trump have faced divorce rumors — and those rumors only
escalated after the former president was indicted. However, some people close to the Trumps have been
quick to deny that they are on their way to splitsville. Days after the first indictment
landed, Melania's former best friend and aide, Stephenie Winston Wolkoff, told Page Six:
"[S]he isn't leaving him. This is a transactional marriage,
she knew what she was getting into when she married Donald."
And yet, there are those who are not quite convinced by this assessment of their
relationship. Ahead of Trump's fourth indictment, which occurred in August 2023, inside sources
claimed to Marca that Melania and Trump are practically strangers. One unnamed tipster said:
"Their paths barely cross. There is little wonder people believe
it's not just the criminal court Trump is heading to but possibly a divorce one too."
It should come as no surprise to find that there's no shortage of online rumors about
Melania divorcing Trump should he go to prison. In one Quora thread, users predicted that Melania
will write a scathing book about her husband after she divorces him. One person commented:
"You thought Fire and Fury was bad for Donnie? Wait till Melania signs a book
deal for Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned: My Life as Donald's Third Wife."
Should Melania Trump decide to stay married to Donald Trump in
the event of a custodial sentence, one might assume it would be because she's
incredibly loyal to her husband. You could also assume she doesn't want to
deal with the hassle and pressure that can come with a high-profile divorce.
As veteran divorce lawyer Cheryl New noted to the Washingtonian, Trump isn't one to pull away
from the spotlight, and he could very well make a personal divorce very public indeed. She said:
"[Trump] would not be able to do this in a way that would be quiet. I don't
think he's constitutionally capable of that. He's
so cocksure that he would put this out there for everybody to see."
Fellow divorce attorney Sandy Ain,
however, envisions a different outcome. He tells the outlet:
"I suspect if they got divorced, he would pay her a lot of money, and it would be
done in an appropriately dignified way. You don't say 'you're fired' to your wife.' You
say 'here's a really nice severance package — and it's gonna be more than $130,000.'"
Melania Trump has been in a relationship with Donald Trump since 1998, so it isn't
too bold to assume she knows more about him than the average bear.
"It was… you know, something was there right away."
If he was to go to prison, you'd be forgiven for thinking she might share her side of the
story with a journalist. However, some experts believe she'd instead use it as
a golden opportunity to squeeze as much as she can out of a divorce settlement.
Trump and Melania reportedly have a prenup, but divorce attorney Sandy Ain told the Washingtonian
that Melania might be in a position to renegotiate — especially if Trump doesn't want her to talk to
the media about his various criminal activities. Divorce attorney Cheryl New says Melania doesn't
even need to file for divorce to get a good deal — she can simply use what she knows as
leverage to get Trump to amend their original prenup. If he gets elected president again,
she'll have even more leverage. As for what Melania may or may not know,
we can only guess. However, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff tells Page Six:
"[S]he knows about Donald's affairs, she knows everything. I think [Trump]
underestimates Melania totally. She is a chess player. He is a checkers player."
The Stormy Daniels scandal might have been humiliating for Melania Trump, but it could also
lead to a pretty decent divorce settlement. At least, that's what London divorce lawyer Janette
Johnson told the Mirror in 2021. New York-based divorce lawyer Jacqueline Newman added that the
longer Melania stuck it out with Trump after 2020, the more she had to gain. As Newman explained,
this could provide her with ample opportunity to renegotiate their existing prenup. While it's
hard to say exactly how much money Melania could get if she files for divorce, lawyers speculated
in 2021 that she could be looking at $50 million. According to Forbes, Trump is worth $2.5 billion.
Johnson also pointed out that, thanks to the Stormy Daniels controversy, it's possible that
Melania could cash in on some penalty clauses stipulated in the prenup. As Newman said to
the Mirror, Melania would likely be set for life if she divorces her husband. Not only would she
have plenty of cash, but she would also remain the owner of several residential properties.
Melania Trump has made a point of keeping out of the spotlight. So much so, in fact,
that the former first lady has become known for her so-called disappearing act,
with some outlets even jokingly comparing her to Harry Houdini.
"Mr. President, what are your plans now?"
Questions regarding her whereabouts began when Donald Trump was in office and only
continued to ramp up after they left the White House. When Trump was indicted for
the first time in March 2023, this speculation reached a fever pitch.
When Trump showed up to court in New York in April 2023, Melania was nowhere to be
seen. And when he made his way back to Florida for a "homecoming" event,
Melania was once again absent. Trump didn't even mention Melania when he addressed the
crowd at the event. Melania and Trump would not be spotted out together for another few days,
when they celebrated Easter together at Mar-a-Lago. Then, in July 2023,
Newsweek noted that she hasn't attended any of his political events since November 2020.
Meanwhile, the indictments continue to roll in,
and Melania continues to let Trump deal with the public eye on his own. As a source told People:
"[T]his fourth indictment is another problem for her husband. Not for her."
We cannot possibly know what Melania Trump's day-to-day life would look
like if Donald Trump were to go to prison. However, it doesn't feel like too much of a
reach to assume she would try to keep up with the things that she values,
such as health and wellness. According to Melania Trump's former chief of staff Stephanie Grisham,
the former first lady is dedicated to self-care. In her book, Grisham wrote:
"She believed that relaxation was central to one's beauty regimen,
as were, of course, spa treatments and facials."
Grisham also shared that Melania gets more than enough sleep each night. When she's
not catching some Zs or soaking in a mud bath, Melania likes to tap into her creative side and
put together photo albums. If she does decide to disappear in the wake of whatever happens
with Trump's trials, Melania's favorite activities will no doubt keep her busy.
If Donald Trump goes to prison, it's possible that Melania Trump
will keep doing what she's apparently been doing
this whole time — sweeping it all under the rug. In 2023, a source told People:
"Melania is leading her own life [...] surrounded by people who love her and
who never talk about reality, or bad things about her husband."
Not only does Melania not want to hear a word from anyone about Donald Trump's legal troubles,
but she's apparently hopeful that it will magically go away. Another source told People:
"[Melania and her family] live in a fairy tale world and just deal with
things as they come and seem to survive pretty well. They do what
is possible to get past the problems without disrupting their lifestyle."
That does not, however, mean that Melania isn't mad about Trump's
indiscretions. One source claims that, despite apparently wanting to keep things light by
spending time with friends and family, Melania is still pretty mad. They said:
"She remains angry and doesn't want to hear [the alleged hush money payment] mentioned."
Where will this tactic get Melania? Well, that remains to be seen.