Donald Trump had three wives before he became the President of the United States,
and reaching the highest office in the land made their relationships complicated – and
very public. This is the truth about Ivana Trump's relationship with former First Lady Melania Trump.
Ivana Trump, who recently passed away at the age of 73 in her home in Manhattan,
was Donald Trump's first wife. The two were married in 1977 and stayed together
until 1992 when their relationship ended in a bitter public divorce.
Their tumultuous relationship reportedly ended up
in a peaceful place as they worked together as co-parents; Ivana even told CNN in 2015,
"Donald and I are the best of friends and together have raised
three children that we love and are very proud of."
According to Vanity Fair, Donald reportedly called his first wife, quote, "his twin as a woman." So,
how did his "female twin" get along with his third wife, First Lady Melania Trump?
While the idea of bad blood between the two has never been explicit, there have
been moments over the years that clue us into the women's true feelings about each other.
Ivana Trump had a history of being critical of her ex-husband's current
wife. In an interview with the British talk show "Loose Women,"
Ivana shared her thoughts about how Melania Trump was handling being the First Lady,
describing her as quiet and isolated. It seemed like she thought that she would do a better job.
"I would do great job in the White House, but I really, it is not in my inspiration."
In a 2017 interview with "Good Morning America," Ivana even described herself
as basically being the real first lady.
"I don't really want to cause any kind of jealousy or something like that because I'm
basically Trump first wife, OK? I'm first lady."
While she was clearly referring to being literally the first wife of Donald Trump,
the comment caused some tension. Melania's communications director
promptly described Ivana's comments as, quote, "attention-seeking and self-serving noise."
While their relationship was clearly not always an amicable one, the two
share many of the same experiences; both women were immigrants that found refuge in the U.S.;
both were former models turned businesswomen and socialites;
and both have been called beloved mothers who care deeply for their children. After her death,
the Trump family made several loving statements remembering Ivana and celebrating her life.
According to Psychology Today, research suggests that approximately 60% of people
claim to be friends with their ex after a breakup, Whether exes remain amicable for
children they share or simply because they value each other's friendship,
the age-old phrase "let's still be friends" is usually a welcome one to hear
after a breakup. But sometimes things get complicated. It can be especially hard to
forgive your ex when infidelity is involved — something Ivana Trump knew all too well.
While Ivana had been skeptical of Melania Trump in the past,
nothing compares to her relationship with Donald Trump's second wife Marla Maples,
who had an affair with Donald while he was still married to Ivana.
Ivana was more vocal about her distaste for Maples, and for good reason. According to
"Raising Trump," Ivana's 2017 memoir, Maples once approached her and said, "
"I'm Marla and I love your husband. Do you?"
Ivana told Maples to, quote,
"get lost," and cited that interaction as the moment she knew her marriage was over.
Ivana reflected on Maples years later in her memoir and in an interview with CBS Sunday
Morning, in which she called Maples a "showgirl" who, quote, "never achieved anything in her life."
Despite the bad blood, Tiffany Trump,
the daughter of Maples and Donald, was present for Ivana's funeral.
In many ways, Ivana Trump and Melania Trump had more in common over the years than they
ever hoped to. Melania was also allegedly the victim of her husband's infidelity,
which was made public knowledge as she adjusted to life as the first lady. Donald Trump allegedly
had an affair with Stormy Daniels in 2006, just one year into his marriage with Melania.
The reported affair became a matter of great public interest after it was revealed that Donald
Trump's lawyer paid for Daniels' silence while he was running for president. Daniels gave detailed
insight into the affair during a CBS "60 Minutes" interview in 2018. During it, she claimed that she
was not a victim but that she came forward to raise awareness about Donald Trump's history.
According to AP, Donald has repeatedly denied the affair
despite the record of money sent to Daniels by his personal attorney.
Melania continues to be married to the former president and swatted away
divorce rumors that circulated while the Trumps resided in the White House.
It just goes to show that forgiveness seems to be another thing Melania and Ivana have in common.
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