Marla Maples ‘ entry into Donald Trump’s life was controversial because back then, he was still married to his first wife Ivana Trump with whom he had three kids already. She was labeled a “mistress” and a “homewrecker” when the news of their affair went public. However, in an interview with Access Hollywood , Maples recalled her first meeting with Trump as spiritual.
The former actress/model told the hosts Billy Bush and Kit Hoover what the initial dating days were like. Hoover asked, “Was [Donald] romantic, flirty, what was he like?” Maples laughed off at the question and recounted, “I think the first moment I met him, I had a sense that I had known him before. I think it was much deeper,” adding, “If you believe in the past life or don’t, it felt as if we knew each other, like family. I saw a vulnerable man.”
In March 1990 Donald Trump’s affair with Marla Maples was covered by all the tabloids, mainly because Trump was using fake names to call the tabloids and feed information on himself to make sure he stayed in the news. pic.twitter.com/6VNCPF0Jrp
— TheRealThelmaJohnson (@TheRealThelmaJ1) August 4, 2024
Maples’ unconventional romance with Trump began as hush-hush because he wasn’t divorced yet. For the most part, they maintained the silence over their relationship until one day, they spoke openly about it with Ivana alleging her of breaking her home. She was given names by the press but according to her, she was “in love” and refused to accept that she was the “problem” in their marriage, according to The Washington Post.
“I never considered myself a mistress,” she said on ABC News podcast Journey of Faith with Paula Faris. “I mean, that’s the truth.” Despite the media noise, she remained positive about her future with Trump which somehow seemed impossible at the time. “It was literally like, ‘Here’s my plan, and this is who you are.'” In addition, she recalled Trump reassuring her parents that he would give his name to their daughter.
25 Years Ago Today: @realDonaldTrump & Marla Maples at 1992 US Open pic.twitter.com/dB2FjRxS6t
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 9, 2017
“I’m going to marry your daughter one day,'” Maples told the host, adding, “Every step of the way, I was praying, ‘God, please be in this. Please be in this. I do not want to be part of breaking anything up that has a chance,” referring to breaking his home with Ivana. “It was two people who came together and truly loved each other for a period of time. I wanted him to see how loved he could be for his soul, not for his money.”
And they kept their promise to each other. Maples and Trump got married in December 1993 and welcomed a daughter Tiffany Trump . However, unfortunately, their marriage only lasted six years and they parted ways in 1997. But she held no grudge or resentment about the broken relationship. Instead, she looked at it from a positive perspective and moved on.
“Do I wish more than anything that we could have had this relationship after the divorce papers were signed? Absolutely. With all my heart,” said Maples in her ABC podcast. However, she also acknowledged that “it didn’t happen that way,” and everything happens for a reason and that reason is always for the good of both the people involved.