In its first two weeks, the Trump White House hasn't been all that good at containing unflattering information. Leaks abound on everything from a dress code for female staffers to where the president was during the recent military raid in Yemen (i.e. not in the situation room). But one thing Trump did manage to contain? His relationship with second wife Marla Maples.
Maples' memoir about their affair and subsequent relationship reportedly titled It's About Time, was shelved just before Trump's election. According to the New York Post's sources, President Trump "declined to give his approval to the tome," which killed the project indefinitely. Maples signed a non-disclosure with they divorced in 1999.
In the wake of her ex-husband's election, Marla Maples has been thrown once again into the national spotlight. Here's what else you need to know about Tiffany Trump's mother.
Maples's marriage to Donald Trump was tempestuous.
It's no secret that Maples met and began a relationship with Trump while he was still married to his first wife, Ivana, but the relationship that started in scandal ended rather amicably.
"I think you always hope in a marriage that you can bring the best out in each other," Maples said in a 2016 interview with Access Hollywood. "But after many years, we realized we weren't."
At the time of their divorce, People interviewed Trump's good friend, New York Post columnist Cindy Adams. "It was lust, not really love," Adams said of the relationship. "She loved him very much. But Donald is somebody who's in love mostly with himself."
She still loves the President-elect.
During a 2013 appearance on Oprah: Where Are They Now?, Maples shared that she still has feelings for Donald and her former step children. "I still love Donald," she said, showing no ill-will toward her ex. "I love Eric and Ivanka and Donnie so much," she said. "I had the chance to know them when they were young and now to see how well they're doing just touches my heart. We watch The Apprentice and I cry when I see the kids on it. I'm crazy, I'm that emotional person."
[youtube ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=31&v=p90Ht6xFDHY[/youtube]
Their wedding was the talk of New York.
Just a few months after their daughter Tiffany was born, Trump and Maples married in an elaborate wedding at the Plaza Hotel in December of 1993. Over 1,000 guests attended, with names ranging from mayor David Dinkins to Howard Stern to O.J. Simpson. The reception featured an abundance of both champagne and caviar.
Maples wore a white satin gown by Carolina Herrera and a borrowed $2 million tiara from Harry Winston, but the ceremony was a perfunctory, transactional affair. As writer Julie Baumgold put it cheekily in the New York Times, "There wasn't a wet eye in the place."
Maples is an actress.
Maples has starred in films such as Maximum Overdrive, Executive Decision, and Black and White as well as theater productions including the Tony Award-winning production of the Will Rogers Follies on Broadway. She has also made guest appearances on several television shows including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Spin City, and The Nanny.
She raised her daughter Tiffany primarily by herself.
In the same Oprah, Where Are They Now? appearance mentioned above, Maples shared that she essentially raised Tiffany as a single mother. "I've had a real blessing of being able to raise Tiffany as a single parent," she said. "Her daddy, of course took care of school, her education and some of our needs, but as far as the day to day parenting, I've been the one here."
Maples, like Donald, has starred in a reality television show.
In the spring of 2016, as her ex-husband was laying waste to his Republican primary opponents, Maples appeared as a contestant on the 22nd season of Dancing with the Stars. While she gave the program an enthusiastic effort, she was eliminated in the show's third episode, coming in tenth overall.
Maples has tried—unsuccessfully—to make amends with Ivana.
It's understandable that Ivana Trump would harbor some resentment toward her ex-husband's second wife, but Maples is hoping the women can put the past behind them.
"[Maples] asked to apologize to me in the Daily Mail in London," said Ivana in an interview with the New York Post. "They asked if I accepted the apology and I said no. Why should I? She broke my marriage!"
Maples responded inPeople: "That makes me sad because I wish her nothing but love. I love her kids, and if she's holding any kind of resentment toward me, I really hope, for her sake, that she can forgive me."
She's a practicing kabbalist.
Maples studies the ancient Jewish mysticism known as Kabbalah, and often shares images (like the one above) of her practice on social media.
According toVanity Fair, it was faith that helped her to move past her divorce from Trump. "[Kabbalah] helped me learn to take responsibility for my own choices and no longer be the victim," she said.
Some speculated that she was behind the leak of Trump's tax information.
In early October, theNew York Times received a portion of Donald Trump's 1995 tax returns, publishing the paperwork, while keeping the source anonymous. Because Maples was married to Trump in '95, and her signature appears on some of the files, she was immediately among those suspected to have submitted the information. It is still unclear who leaked the documents.
She reportedly asked a hair stylist to work for free on Inauguration Day.
Trump's second wife plans to attend her ex-husband's Inauguration, but she wants to get her hair done for free. According to the Washington Post, Maples requested that freelance hairdresser Tricia Kelly style both her hair and her daughter Tiffany's for Inauguration Day, offering Kelly "exposure" through social media posts as compensation.
"I was stunned," said Kelly, who has previously worked with politicians on both sides of the aisle. "I told them... I work for a fee, not for free."
"There are people who make far less than they do who pay full price," Kelly continued. "People on staff—the incoming White House and the outgoing one—pay full price. It seemed like they were trying to see how much they could get for free based on their names."
It's unclear who will be styling the duo now, and how much, if anything they'll be paid.
According to the Washington Post, asking for a comped service is legal, if a bit rare. While the President, his spouse, and his minor children (in Trump's case, just Barron), need to report any gifts over $300, Maples and her daughter are not required to do so.
That said, it's not a good look for the incoming administration, especially considering the ongoing concerns over the President-elect's conflicts of interest.
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As the digital director for Town & Country, Caroline Hallemann covers culture, entertainment, and a range of other subjects
