As the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr., Vanessa Trump is one of the most private members of the family.
Mother to their five children, she filed an uncontested divorce in 2018 after more than
12 years of marriage, and ever since, she's been living her best life. From devoting herself to her
children, to keeping a relationship going with the Trumps, she's truly stepped into her own.
Vanessa appears to skirt the spotlight by design. She was raised in Manhattan's Upper East Side,
but maintains her dedication to being a good mom these days, posting in her Twitter bio:
"I'm a Mother of 5 amazing kids. My children are my life!"
"These are the two most important women in my life."
According to Page Six, friends reportedly warned Vanessa not to marry Don Jr. — and
after their 2005 wedding, the situation didn't improve. A source told the outlet,
"She was interviewing divorce lawyers before [Trump's presidency]. No one thought he'd
win. […] She decided to stay until [Trump's] term is over. But she just couldn't stand it anymore."
"How's the family adjusting to everything?
There's a new normal, but we couldn't be more proud of him."
A 2018 GQ profile reported that Don Jr. had engaged in an affair
during his marriage. And according to the outlet, the divorce was due to…
"Don's political transformation and volatile social-media presence."
By all accounts, the marriage certainly was no fairy tale, and according to some,
Don Jr. wasn't exactly a supportive husband. Sources for the New York Times claimed that
he spent most of his time outside of the couple's home, during their marriage. And
that his appearances on The Apprentice garnered lots of attention from women.
"Be careful about dating men with the last name Trump."
Us Weekly reported that Don Jr. had a particularly serious affair with Celebrity Apprentice star,
Aubrey O'Day, in 2011, with sources alleging he had planned to leave his wife, and claiming,
"He told [Aubrey] it was over with his wife, that they were separated
and he didn't love her — all of that stuff. […] Aubrey fell for him hard."
But supposedly Don Jr. changed his plans and he and Vanessa stayed together. Divorce expert Dr.
Karen Finn explained why infidelity is painful to the betrayed spouse, writing on her site,
"When you discover your spouse has cheated on you, you immediately wonder what the other
person has that you don't. You jump to the conclusion that you must be lacking in some
fundamental way because your spouse chose to be with this other person instead of you."
But despite any hard feelings between herself and her ex, Vanessa appears to have pulled off
the impossible, in maintaining a good relationship with the Trump family. And while she steers clear
of politics, she consistently posts positive family messages on social media. Vanessa's
2019 birthday tweet to Donald from his grandkids is just one example of how she tries to stay in
the family's good graces. And it appears Ivanka Trump and Vanessa are committed to keeping the
cousins close, even after the divorce. In a move that might land her in the ex-wife hall of fame,
Vanessa even cooked a second Thanksgiving dinner in 2019 for Don Jr. and his
girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle and all the kids, according to the Daily Mail.
"This is nice to reflect on what matters, what's important,
and that's family time and spending it together."
And along with beginning a new chapter in her personal life,
Vanessa has also switched it up with her looks — transforming her hair color from a bright blonde,
to a low-key hue. The "Barbie" vibe is gone, now replaced by a sophisticated look for her 40s.
But it's possible that one of the reasons Vanessa can take such a stress-free approach
to post-divorce life, might have to do with stone cold cash. According to Page Six,
Vanessa's dad was part-owner of the pasta sauce maker, Rao's Speciality Foods. When
the company was sold in 2017 for $415 million, Vanessa's family received a windfall payout.
Still, it's clear that the former Trump wife is taking the high road in every way.
Page Six reported that the judge in their divorce case praised Vanessa
and Don Jr. for putting their kids first, saying,
"You have prioritized your children and taken steps to shield them from what
could have been an invasive litigation process."
It appears Vanessa is following her truth north, and doing her absolute best for her family.
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