Since Donald Trump's 2016 campaign for president, there's been a buzz of speculation around
his marriage to Melania Trump. At his inauguration, a viral video showed Melania smiling while
Donald looked at her, then scowling as he looked away. And she's seemed to refuse to
hold his hand in public over and over. Publicly, the two seem to lead mostly separate lives.
"You're not on the campaign trail. How do you feel about campaigning?" "Well, it's my
choice not to be there."
Body language isn't a perfect indicator that there's trouble between the Trumps, but as
the president faces a January exit from the White House, there's been wild speculation
that a divorce could also be on the horizon. After all, it's no secret that the pair doesn't
share a bed. Former Trump aide Omarosa Manigault Newman wrote in her new book, Unhinged: An
Insider's Account of the Trump White House, that
"In my opinion, Melania is counting every minute until he is out of office and she can
divorce him."
So what would happen if Melania did divorce her husband?
It's unlikely she'll be able to tell her side of the story. Trump's second wife, Marla Maples,
signed a prenuptial agreement with an incredibly strict nondisclosure clause. According to
Vanity Fair, it forbids publication of
"Any diary, memoir, letter, story, photograph, interview, article, essay, account or description
or depiction of any kind whatsoever, whether fictionalized or not, concerning (or seeming
to concern) the details of the parties' marriage."
It's likely that Melania's prenup included a similar clause. That means anyone waiting
on a post-divorce memoir or run on the talk show circuit is likely going to end up disappointed.
But here's a juicy detail: she reportedly renegotiated that prenup. According to reporting
from The Washington Post's Mary Jordan, the reason Melania initially delayed joining her
husband in the White House wasn't just to wait for her and Donald's son Barron to finish
school, as the First Lady initially explained. Melania was also hoping the delay would tip
the power in her direction during the renegotiation.
Originally, her prenup hadn't been very generous, but by that point, she'd been married to Donald
much longer than his previous wives. Jordan dished that Trump's inner circle was desperate
for her to move in, so she could act as a calming presence.
Divorce lawyer Christina Previte told Nicki Swift that she believed Trump's presidential
victory was what spurred Melania to take action to renegotiate, theorizing:
"I suspect that no one ever thought Donald was actually going to win. And then when he
did win, Melania and everyone else realized the dramatic changes that they would need
to make to their daily lives, including moving to Washington."
Much of Melania's prenup renegotiations revolved around Barron, ensuring he had an equal share
in the family fortune. Jordan wrote,
"She wanted proof in writing that when it came to financial opportunities and inheritance,
Barron would be treated as more of an equal to Trump's oldest three children."
Melania is famously protective of her son, having aggressively pursued anyone who has
criticized him publicly.
As for what Melania herself will get financially if she divorces Trump, the exact numbers are
unclear. The Mirror reports that she'll likely be able to keep any gifted jewelry, and she'll
be paid a tidy sum for being Barron's primary caretaker. However, it's unlikely to be enough
to allow her to continue her current lavish lifestyle.
So where will she most likely live after moving out of the White House? While she showed initial
reluctance to move to Washington, now that Barron is enrolled in high school, she might
choose to stay until he graduates, as Barack and Michelle Obama did with their daughters,
USA Today notes.
The Washington Post also points out that both Melania and Barron Trump hold Slovenian citizenship,
so they could go there. Returning to New York City is also on the table. Previte told Nicki
Swift that Melania previously purchased a one bedroom apartment in Trump Tower.
Based on where Melania registered to vote, and an assumption she may stay with her husband,
first lady historian and Ohio University history professor Katherine Jellison guesses Melania
will end up close to Mar-A-Lago, telling USA Today,
"I assume Mrs. Trump will go back to Florida – or maybe she will be able to convince
her husband to return to New York as their official residence – and continue the kind
of life she led before the White House."
Of course, without her husband, Florida might become a lot less appealing to Melania.
Whatever path Melania chooses after leaving the White House, both fans and fascinated
critics will be eager to find out.
"There are so many things. I don't know where to start."
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