Donald Trump’s second marriage, to Marla Maples, didn’t last long. After their divorce, she disappeared from the public eye, focusing on raising their daughter, Tiffany. So what does her life look like today? Here’s what to know.
Marla Maples was born on October 27, 1963, in Cohutta, Georgia. She described her childhood as “storybook‑perfect.” Maples had a wonderful upbringing and received plenty of attention because of her looks.
She was so pretty that in high school she was elected homecoming queen and excelled in sports. She pursued a marketing degree at the University of Georgia but decided to leave after about two and a half years.
Instead, she set her sights on New York — a move that would change her life forever. As Marla Maples tried to find work in New York City, Donald Trump’s marriage to Ivana Trump was reaching a breaking point. Maples recalled meeting Donald Trump for the first time in 1985, saying they had an instant connection. However, she also said the timing wasn’t right. They spent a lot of time talking on the phone, though they didn’t meet publicly. But as the years passed, Marla knew what she wanted her future to look like.
“By ’88, I knew I truly loved this guy,” Maples said in a New York magazine interview.
How did Marla Maples meet Donald Trump?
Marla ran into Donald several times over the years, and eventually Ivana realized something was going on. Maples claimed she was led to believe there was a plan to end Donald’s marriage. At that point, she decided to lie low and not get involved.
She tried to stay away, but before long, Page Six ran her photograph and name. In the New York Magazine story, Maples recalled a very uncomfortable meeting with Ivana in Colorado after her name and photo had appeared in newspapers across New York City.
“When we saw each other in Colorado, Ivana and I, it was just a moment of both of us wanting to know the truth,” Maples said.
“It was good that the truth became known, but that was also when the real pain began. I realized that we had both been deceived. You’re left in a very uncomfortable position — and the world knows about it.” Just a month later, while watching a boxing match on television, Marla Maples saw a news flash announcing Donald and Ivana’s divorce.
Relationship with Donald Trump
She didn’t want to be part of the drama and decided to “run away as far as possible.” Papers speculated about where she was, but ultimately she couldn’t completely leave Donald, and the two began dating.
“I loved this man. Yes, I was young, but it was my choice. I was romanced, I had Mister Charm all over me, and it was very hard to say no. When that man wants something, he’ll stop at nothing to get it. And I also believed in the good of him,” Maples recalled.
Dating Donald Trump wasn’t like being with anyone else. It came with certain expectations — she had to keep up with his busy, luxurious lifestyle. Her hair and makeup always had to be perfect, and she wore only designer dresses. In the end, she felt like she had become a caricature of herself. While their relationship was complicated at first, they eventually moved forward. In 1993, Marla Maples and Donald Trump married and welcomed their daughter, Tiffany Trump, the same year. Sadly, things didn’t last. In 1999, Donald and Marla divorced.
Speaking to Access Hollywood, Marla explained that they simply weren’t the best match.
Marla Maples’ prenup
“Well, he and I were so different, as you could probably imagine,” she said. “I think you always hope in a marriage that you can bring the best out in each other. But after many years, we realized we weren’t.”
Marla Maples had to sign a prenup before marrying Donald Trump, and it was a tough one.
According to Vanity Fair, the prenup showed Trump was determined to protect his money. Sources told the magazine that Maples wanted $25 million, but Trump agreed to pay her only $1 million if they separated within five years.
She would receive another $1 million to buy a house. Trump would also stop making $100,000 child‑support payments for Tiffany when she turned 21. If she got a full‑time job, enlisted in the military, or joined the Peace Corps before then, the payments would end early. After the divorce, Maples largely disappeared from the spotlight. She moved to Los Angeles with Tiffany and created her own wellness brand. She bought a home in the upscale neighborhood of Calabasas and, after her luxurious life with Donald, wanted something different.
‘Rural’ life in California
Marla wanted to recreate aspects of her “rural” Georgia upbringing — cooking organic meals in the evening, watching television, and enjoying simple things like having a trampoline in the backyard.
“We loved going to the movies together. That was our big night out,” Marla Maples told People in 2016.
“We were always together,” Tiffany added. “She gave me the chance to have a normal childhood.”
Still, Maples admitted, “You don’t know how to [be a single mom] until you’re in it and you find a way.” She said she was never bitter about doing it on her own. “What I’ve learned to do is to take responsibility for what’s happening in my life and not be a victim.”
She added that she wanted her daughter to have a relationship with her father, despite living across the country. “I would bring her into New York a couple times a year and let her go see her dad in the office and let her go have dinner with him and [Donald’s wife] Melania,” Marla told People. “I just said it’s important for her to form her own relationship with him, without my input. I wanted to create some consistency where she could see him.”
Marla Maples has appeared in several major movies and TV shows, including Dallas, Clueless, and The Fresh Prince of Bel‑Air. She’s also held several journalistic roles, including interviewing NBA superstar Michael Jordan for Inside Edition.
Marla Maples today
Maples can also sing. She released the album The Endless in 2013 and competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2016. While she hasn’t played a major role in Donald’s two presidential terms, she did help bring Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump together to launch the Make America Healthy Again wellness movement.
Marla Maples’ lifestyle revolves around health. On Instagram, followers can see her workouts and yoga practice. But life on the West Coast didn’t last.
Today, Marla Maples, now 62, is back in New York, where she is developing SoulShine Journeys, a spiritual travel venture focused on personal growth through reflection, focus, and reset. Last year, she reached another milestone when she became a first‑time grandmother. Tiffany and her husband, Michael Boulos, welcomed their son, Alexander Trump Boulos, on May 15, 2025. Marla embraced her new role immediately, giving herself the nickname “Gran Mar Mar.”
When Tiffany shared the news on social media, Maples quickly commented, “No greater joy in the world.”
“Michael and Tiffany, this Gran Mar Mar loves you all so much!! You rocked it, my girl!” she added.
