In a revealing interview that resurfaced this week, the late Ivana Trump, the first wife of President Donald Trump, made her feelings crystal clear about her ex-husband’s subsequent marriages. Speaking with CBS’s Sunday Morning before her death in July 2022, Ivana distinguished sharply between Melania Trump and Marla Maples.
The interview, which took place before Ivana’s passing at age 73, offered an unfiltered glimpse into the complicated dynamics among the women tied to Trump’s personal history. Ivana expressed no issues with Melania, the current first lady, while reserving considerably harsher judgment for Marla Maples, Trump’s second wife. Ivana stated directly, “One is a nobody. And the other one is First Lady.”
CBS correspondent Jim Axelrod noted during the segment that while Ivana would never forgive Trump’s second wife, she harbored no animosity toward his third. The distinction appeared rooted in both status and lingering resentment from the affair that ended Ivana’s marriage to Trump in the early 1990s.
When asked about Maples directly, Ivana refused to discuss her by name. She dismissed her as a showgirl who had never accomplished anything in life. The contempt was palpable, reflecting wounds that apparently never healed from the highly publicized scandal that destroyed her marriage.
The roots of Ivana’s bitterness trace back to the 1980s, when Trump and Maples began their affair while he remained married to Ivana. In her memoir Raising Trump, Ivana recounted a particularly painful confrontation during a ski trip to Aspen in 1989. The encounter proved pivotal, with Maples approaching Ivana to confess her feelings for Trump. Ivana wrote that she told Maples to get lost, describing the moment as shocking despite its lack of decorum.
Trump himself acknowledged the incident in a 1994 interview, admitting there was visible friction during that encounter. He even expressed what appeared to be regret over the affair, praising the life he shared with Ivana before everything fell apart. He indicated that his life had been nearly perfect, with a beautiful girlfriend, a beautiful wife, and beautiful everything, suggesting the relationship with Ivana might have continued without his infidelity.
Ivana and Trump initially captivated New York society in the 1970s as a glamorous power couple. She played a significant role in the Trump Organization, eventually becoming CEO and president of the Trump Castle Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. Their contentious divorce in 1990 marked the end of that era, though they maintained a functional relationship for the sake of their three children: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric.
Trump married Maples in 1993, a union that lasted until 1999. The couple shares one daughter, Tiffany Trump. Trump met his current wife, Melania, in 1998 while still navigating divorce proceedings with Maples. After an on-and-off courtship, Trump proposed to Melania on her birthday, April 26, 2004, as they were leaving to attend the Met Gala. They later married in Palm Beach, Florida, in a ceremony attended by prominent figures, including Rudy Giuliani, Barbara Walters, and President Bill Clinton.
In the CBS interview, Ivana explained her perspective on the affair with remarkable candor. She suggested that Maples was flirting and got away with it, effectively absolving Trump of responsibility. Ivana claimed women constantly threw themselves at Trump, saying he received about 1,000 business cards in his pocket every night and could choose any girl he wanted.
Despite their divorce, Ivana remained proud of her children, particularly when they appeared on stage during their father’s first presidential campaign. The family maintained enough cohesion that the whole family attended the funeral. Before the ceremony, Trump posted on Truth Social that it was “a very sad day,” yet also a moment to honor “a wonderful and beautiful life.”
When Trump became president in 2017, Melania made history as the first foreign-born first lady since Louisa Adams, who held the role from 1825 to 1829 as the wife of President John Quincy Adams. This elevated status appeared to earn Melania a measure of respect from Ivana that Maples never received, with Ivana acknowledging Melania as a significant figure rather than dismissing her.
The couple shares one son, Barron Trump, who has largely remained out of the public spotlight. Melania and Trump’s relationship has spanned decades, surviving the scrutiny that comes with two presidential campaigns and administrations.
