Marla Maples. Yes, she was Donald Trump's second wife, but did you also know she's a podcaster,
singer, and actor? Let's take a closer look at what life looks like today for Marla Maples.
Most people know that Donald Trump was married twice before he wed Melania Trump.
The former president had his first three children with Ivana Trump, his fourth with Marla Maples,
and his fifth with Melania. Maples and Donald are the parents of Tiffany Trump, so even though the
exes divorced in 1999, Maples will always be tied to Donald through their daughter.
"He's a very strong person, he's a very loving person, but sometimes it doesn't come through."
Tiffany is a Georgetown Law graduate, who, in January 2021, got engaged to Michael Boulos,
a businessman with a Regent's University London bachelor's degree and a City,
University of London master's degree. Like Tiffany, Michael is ambitious and
comes from great wealth — and Tiffany's mom approves of her daughter's beau.
Maples told Town & Country that she "adores" Boulos.
In January 2021, Vanity Fair posed the question,
"Is Marla Maples Hopping on the Trump Train to Florida?"
The headline followed other reports that Tiffany was looking for a home in Miami
and that Marla was spotted there too,
lunching with her friends and strolling through the open-air shops. After the January outing,
some wondered if she was considering moving to Florida with Tiffany and the rest of the Trumps.
In March 2021, Maples answered the Florida question by sharing a post on Instagram
about her next steps. She posed with her new Florida driver's license and wrote,
"Transitioning to a new life adventure with so much joy and gratitude."
Maples stated that she drove around the country searching for, quote, "the best place to live,
work & have [a] loving community," and her prayers brought her to Florida. The star explained,
"I awoke at 5 AM knowing I must pray at sunrise for an answer. That same day I found my new home."
She claimed her decision was guided by Jesus and by her late mother. Since the March 9th Instagram
announcement, Maples has shared several other pictures and videos of beach life.
She seems to be at one with nature, and it's possible she wants to stay close to Tiffany
to help with wedding planning. On April 2nd, Maples took her Instagram followers
on a quick tour of her empty New York home. With a gorgeous view behind her, she said,
"New York, I love you, but it's time to move on. Change is really good for the soul, for the heart,
letting go of what you need to release, starting anew, right here at the time of Easter."
After her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer,
Maples became an advocate for cancer research and awareness. Maples and Tiffany were close
to Marla's mother, who passed away in 2014. In 2017, they had brunch
at the grandma's favorite spot on what would have been her 76th birthday in Central Park.
Maples shared the photo on Instagram, where Tiffany can be seen holding a photo of her
grandmother as homecoming queen. Also in 2017, the mom and daughter attended
a luncheon and fashion show for the City of Hope Spirit of Life Award. City of Hope
is a center for cancer treatment and research. In support of the event, Maples told Page Six,
"There has been a lot of cancer in my family. My mother had breast cancer,
and it eventually moved into her brain. One of the things that I have to remember my mother by
are her Chanel purses. I inherited a bunch so when I do go out it is very likely that
I have my Chanel bag at my side. [...] It helps to keep my mother's memory close."
Maples also endorsed a docu-series about cancer cures, called Quest for the Cures,
presented by The Truth About Cancer. She is quoted on the documentary project's website, saying,
"Please be kind to yourself. You are worthy of great love. Watch this docuseries and learn
the truth that sets you free to live an abundant and happy, healthy life."
A quick look at Maples' Instagram page shows that she's quite invested in her spirituality
and regularly engages in prayer and meditation. Her website reads:
"Marla describes her recent project, 'SoulShine Journeys' as a way to provide people who may be
searching for a higher purpose to 'shed what they need to shed and shift into their highest good.'"
"I just think life is about being ready for anything, you know,
and where you're gonna find the positive in all things."
Spiritually, it appears that Maples is a syncretist, blending multiple faiths
and religious beliefs. According to Saint Louis Jewish Light, she's been linked to Christianity,
Judaism, and – a Hollywood favorite – Kabbalah. It seems Maples' spirituality
influences her nutrition as well. She wrote on her website,
"I am a vegan, yet part-time carnivore, [...] gluten-free,
dairy-free, Kosher style eater – and that's just my diet! Beyond organic food, natural health
and wellness is more than just a passion, it's the core of my lifestyle, beliefs, and values.
Grateful to be able to share more about this important foundation of my life with you."
The wellness practitioner is interested in all sorts of natural healing methods
and wants to help ease people's anxiety through social media offerings, like a quick stretch,
a Kabbalah lesson, or a global meditation.
Maples is one of thousands of celebrities available on Cameo, a website where fans
can purchase personalized video messages for themselves or for loved ones. Maples' Cameo videos
cost $90, she'll send direct text messages for $9.99, and patrons can join her fan club for free.
Interested shoppers can see some of the actor's videos publicly and will find that
she puts the payments towards charity and typically responds to requests in two days,
although 24-hour delivery is available. People looking to purchase a Cameo from
Maples will want to know that she has numerous 5-star reviews on her page.
She looks quite happy to film birthday greetings, anniversary wishes, and words of encouragement.
Maples' Cameo account was featured in an episode of "Talk Ain't Cheap,"
a podcast in which married couple Jensen Karp and Danielle Fishel analyze various
Cameos made by celebrities and public figures. Karp and Fishel discuss the fairness of pricing,
quality of videos, and comedic or confusing moments. When they came to Maples,
the hosts quickly introduced one of Maples' songs, "The Pearl," and played
the 2013 New Age tune multiple times as an inside joke, amid Cameo analysis.
Karp and Fishel poked some fun at Maples' Cameo offerings — namely the, quote,
"intense" way she sometimes prays during them — but the pair did praise her youthful essence,
the fact that she contributes her revenue to charity, and declared her Cameo a "great deal."
In an interview to promote her 2021 movie, The Birthday Cake,
Maples said that "The Pearl," a track from her 2013 album The Endless,
is about "the female soul's journey through time." She added,
"My dad is quite prophetic, and he always calls my daughter 'The Pearl.'"
The singer emphasized becoming more beautiful over time, and she's open to making new music.
Maples includes a section for music on her website but has
not released any new albums since 2013. The Endless is described as:
"A musical journey of spiritual awakening and transformational energy, featuring thought leaders
like His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, Michael Bernard Beckwith, & others."
Prior to that album, Maples released a few songs through her One World of Love Benefit Album,
a project with which she desired to, quote, "inspire peace, love,
and unity through music." She performed the title track at Carnegie Hall in conjunction
with her philanthropy for the "Turn Up the Peace" benefit concert in 2011.
Although Maples hasn't publicized any new music since 2013, her work as a singer/songwriter is
still a successful part of her life. She even won a Hollywood Music in Media Award
in 2012 for Best New Age or Ambient song. As Maples enjoys a fresh chapter of her life,
she may be inclined to work on some new songs that reflect where she is spiritually and emotionally.
When it comes to the arts, Maples is multi-talented. The singer and
actor graced the Broadway stage in the early 1990s for The Will Rogers Follies,
and performed in Love, Loss, and What I Wore in 2011 off-Broadway.
While promoting the latter production, Maples told Broadway.com that it was,
quote, "just like heaven being back in the Broadway community."
She felt that her return to New York at the time clarified her desire to work as an actor and said,
"I love the creative arts, and I want to be able to express myself through those mediums."
Some know Maples better for her work on screen, which goes all the way back to the late 1980s.
She had guest roles on numerous shows and in several holiday movies.
Maples worked steadily in entertainment through the 2000s and 2010s, including talk show
appearances and hosting. She was even a contestant on Dancing with the Stars in 2016. The star has a
new project on the horizon, The Birthday Cake, which is in post-production as of spring 2021.
The film is a crime drama thriller starring Ewan McGregor and is set to be released in June.
As with everything in her life, Maples' podcast is an extension of her spirituality and philosophy.
"Awakening with Marla Maples" goes all the way back to 2009 on iTunes, with the latest episode,
as of May 2021, being an April 2020 discussion on adjusting one's "state of mind." The podcast
gave a platform to all kinds of healers, gurus, doctors, astrologers, and coaches across its
70 episodes. The iTunes description emphasizes Maples' desire for, quote, "unity in the world"
and "hope to all" as she helps "lift others to reach their highest spiritual potential."
“You know I'm a southern girl, I often just smile and keep going."
It appears that she might have turned her attention away from the podcast to focus on a
new project called SoulShine Journeys. Her website doesn't make SoulShine's purpose entirely clear,
but Majorca Daily Bulletin called it a "spiritual travel service." Maples
visited the island in Spain and filmed wellness experiences for the SoulShine
section of her site. The pandemic likely altered her plans for the travel service.
It's obvious that Maples walks, talks, eats, and breathes her own brand of personal wellness.
She also sells it on her website. The star's passion for a healthy lifestyle
extends to the products she promotes, and her site is full of supplements,
mindfulness tools, and immune boosters. Marla writes,
"Shop my favorite products that I use to keep my mind and body as healthy as possible."
She offers a promo code for the health products,
and sells nutritional and mindfulness items through other companies.
One of the most surprising offerings is a "love tuner," which the site describes as:
"A single tone flute that aligns ourselves with the 528 [Hertz] frequency. The Love Frequency."
Critics could argue that Maples' enthusiasm for a healthy life can be positive,
but her methods aren't always grounded in science. For example,
she has put forth some rather unorthodox ideas when it comes to protection against COVID-19.
The Daily Beast took a look at the wellness practitioner's Instagram and reported,
"[Marla has recommended] Vitamin C IV drips, morning prayer, and an idiosyncratic
hand-washing method in which she pours a mug of water on her hands without soap."
The concern goes far beyond Maples' home remedies. The Daily Beast also pointed out that while
Maples hasn't offered much of a "political" opinion about the coronavirus, CNN captured
and shared an image from Maples' temporary instagram stories, in which she supported
a debunked vaccine conspiracy theory about Bill Gates. Maples shared the post and added,
"Education is key. Ask questions. Dig deeper."
Some aspects of Maples' life and work are certainly commendable,
but spreading fake news isn't. There is more to Maples than one idea, quote,
or wellness practice — and the actor continues to surprise onlookers with each step she takes.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus,
even more Nicki Swift videos about your favorite celebs are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.