The Three Rings: How Many Times Has Donald Trump Been Married, And Who Are His Wives?

As of today, December 10, 2025, the definitive answer to the question "How many times has Donald Trump been married?" is three. This unique marital history—three marriages and two divorces—sets the former President apart, making him the only U.S. Commander-in-Chief to have this specific family background. His three wives, Ivana Trump, Marla Maples, and the current Melania Trump, have each played a distinct and high-profile role in his life, from his rise as a New York real estate mogul to his time in the White House. The relationships, which spanned four decades, were often the subject of intense media scrutiny and tabloid gossip, shaping the public perception of the Trump brand. Each marriage represents a significant chapter in Donald Trump's personal and professional evolution, from the power-couple era of the 1980s to the political stage of the 21st century.

The Definitive Biography of Donald Trump's Three Wives

Donald Trump’s three marriages have produced five children and ten grandchildren, creating one of the most publicly scrutinized families in modern American history. The women he married were all successful in their own right, bringing diverse backgrounds and professional experiences into the Trump orbit.

I. Ivana Trump (née Ivana Marie Zelníčková)

• Full Name: Ivana Marie Zelníčková
• Birth Date/Place: February 20, 1949, Zlín, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)
• Profession: Businesswoman, socialite, writer, former model, and professional skier.
• Marriage Date: April 7, 1977
• Divorce Date: 1990
• Children: Donald Jr. (born 1977), Ivanka (born 1981), and Eric (born 1984).
• Key Role: Vice President of Interior Design for the Trump Organization, where she oversaw the design and construction of major properties like Trump Tower and the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino. She was a key figure in the 1980s New York social elite. She passed away in July 2022.

II. Marla Maples (née Marla Ann Maples)

• Full Name: Marla Ann Maples
• Birth Date/Place: October 27, 1963, Cohutta, Georgia, U.S.
• Profession: Actress, television personality, model, and singer.
• Marriage Date: December 20, 1993
• Divorce Date: 1999
• Children: Tiffany (born 1993).
• Key Role: Her relationship with Donald Trump became a major tabloid sensation in the early 1990s, leading to the highly publicized divorce from Ivana. Their wedding was a high-profile affair at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.

III. Melania Trump (née Melania Knauss)

• Full Name: Melania Knauss
• Birth Date/Place: April 26, 1970, Novo Mesto, Slovenia (then Yugoslavia)
• Profession: Former model and jewelry/watch designer.
• Marriage Date: January 22, 2005
• Current Status: Married (Former First Lady of the United States).
• Children: Barron (born 2006).
• Key Role: The second foreign-born First Lady in U.S. history. She met Donald Trump at a fashion party in 1998, and their $2.5 million wedding at Mar-a-Lago was a star-studded event.

The Era of Ivana: The 1980s Power-Couple and the Empire Builder

The marriage between Donald Trump and Ivana Zelníčková was the foundation of the 'Trump' brand in the 1980s. They were the quintessential New York power-couple, dominating the city's social scene and the front pages of major newspapers. Ivana, a former Czech model and professional skier, was not just a socialite; she was an integral part of the Trump Organization. Her business acumen was critical to the success of early Trump ventures. She held the title of Vice President of Interior Design and was instrumental in the aesthetic and operational success of flagship properties like the iconic Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue and the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. The couple's three children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric, would later become key figures in their father's political and business careers. The marriage ended in a highly contentious and public divorce in 1990, fueled by the revelation of Donald Trump's affair with Marla Maples. Despite the acrimony, Ivana later remained a supporter of her ex-husband, even joking about her status as "First Wife."

Marla Maples and the Tabloid Firestorm of the 1990s

The transition from Ivana to Marla Maples was a media sensation that defined the early 1990s. The affair and subsequent divorce proceedings were a constant source of tabloid gossip, cementing Donald Trump's image as a headline-grabbing real estate mogul. Marla Maples, an actress and model from Georgia, married Donald Trump in 1993 at the Plaza Hotel in New York, two months after the birth of their daughter, Tiffany Trump. Their marriage was short-lived, lasting only six years before their separation in 1997 and final divorce in 1999. The divorce settlement was notably less generous than Ivana's, and Maples reportedly signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), a common feature in Trump's marital contracts. The Maples chapter of his life is often cited as the period where Donald Trump fully embraced his celebrity status, moving beyond the business pages into the realm of pure pop culture.

Melania Trump: From Slovenian Model to Foreign-Born First Lady

Donald Trump’s third and current marriage is to Melania Knauss, a Slovenian-born former model. They met at a fashion party in 1998 and married on January 22, 2005. Their wedding was a lavish, $2.5 million affair held at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida, with the reception taking place in the opulent Grand Ballroom at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. The guest list was famously star-studded, including political rivals-turned-guests like Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as business and media moguls. Melania became the second foreign-born First Lady in U.S. history when Donald Trump was elected President in 2016. Her role and public image were subject to intense scrutiny, reflecting the unprecedented nature of her husband's presidency. The couple's son, Barron Trump, was born in 2006.

The Ironclad Legacy of Prenuptial Agreements and Family Influence

One of the consistent themes across all three of Donald Trump's marriages is the use of "ironclad" prenuptial agreements. As a real estate developer zealously guarding his wealth, the prenups were a defining feature of his marital contracts. * Ivana's Prenup: The first agreement was a significant contract that was later revised during their contentious divorce proceedings, which became a case study in high-stakes premarital agreements. * Marla's Prenup: The agreement with Marla Maples was reportedly less generous, a reflection of the contentious nature of the preceding divorce. * Melania's Prenup: While the details remain confidential, Melania's agreement is widely believed to contain strict confidentiality clauses, reflecting the high public profile of their political life. The influence of his wives and children is also a key part of his legacy. Ivana's children—Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric—played crucial roles in both the Trump Organization and his presidential campaign and administration, wielding an unprecedented level of influence for adult children of a sitting president. In summary, Donald Trump has been married three times. Each relationship—with Ivana, Marla, and Melania—was a distinct chapter, moving from the business world of the 1980s to the political world of the 21st century, and collectively contributing to a family narrative unlike any other in American political history.