30 Facts About Donald Trump's Wives: Melania, Ivana And Marla

Donald Trump served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. His wife at the time of his presidency was Melania Trump, to whom he has been married since 2005. Donald Trump was also previously married to Ivana Trump, who recently passed at age 73, and Marla Maples.

Marla and Ivana join the short list of honorary U.S. first ladies who were married to presidents at different points outside their presidencies. Here are some facts about Donald Trump's wives.

1. Ivana Trump was born in Zlin, former Czechoslovakia, to a Czech father and an Austrian mother.

2. She lived in a competitive household, which spurred her to land acting roles as a child before continuing to become a competitive skier at age 12.

"When I was doing poorly at school, my father yanked me out and got me a job in a shoe factory," she said in an interview. "After three weeks I begged him to give me another chance at doing well in school. I learned that discipline is necessary to accomplish anything in life."

3. She met Donald Trump at a PR event for the Olympic Games in New York.

Talking about the meeting, she told New York Post in 2016: "[There's] this tall blond guy with blue eyes. He said, 'I'm Donald Trump, and I see you're looking for a table. I can help you.' I look at my friends and said, 'The good news is, we're going to get a table real fast. The bad news is, this guy is going to be sitting with us.'"

4. She was married to Donald Trump for 15 years. They have three children together, Donald Jr, born in 1977, Ivanka, born in 1981, and Eric in 1984.

5. Donald and Ivana Trump were one of New York's highest-profile couples in the 1980s.

Their relationship was much-talked about in New York's gossip columns.

6. Ivana added "The" to most names while learning English. This gave birth to Donald's now-ubiquitous nickname, "The Donald."

7. She helped build his real estate empire, holding positions such as the vice president for interior design for the Trump Organization. Donald also turned over the management of the Plaza Hotel to Ivana.

He said about the appointment, "My wife, Ivana, is a brilliant manager. I will pay her one dollar a year and all the dresses she can buy!"

8. Donald Trump and Ivana reportedly split due to his affair with actress and eventual second wife, Marla Maples.

During their divorce settlement in 1991, Ivana reportedly got a 45-room Greenwich mansion, an apartment in the Trump Plaza, use of Mar-a-Lago for one month every year, custody of their three children and annual alimony of $650,000 – on top of $14 million.

9. Ivana is not allowed to talk publicly about the divorce without permission from Donald.

10. Donald Trump recently announced on his social media platform Truth Social that his first wife passed away in her Manhattan residence.

11. Marla Maples, Donald's second wife, is an actress, philanthropist, speaker and activist. She advocates for mental, spiritual and physical wellness.

12. She attended the University of Georgia before moving to New York City to pursue a career in the arts.

She was born in Cohutta, Georgia, and came to New York in 1985, bringing her celebrity dreams and spirituality with her. "I'm, like, of the soil, of the country, of a solid, firm belief in God," Maples told Vanity Fair in 1990.

13. She has over 20 acting credits to her name – and dozens of magazine covers.

14. She suffered from Lyme disease as a teen.

She was honored for her work with the Global Lyme Alliance, and she continues to support non-profit organizations for children, such as Spirituality for Kids, Make a Wish Foundation, American Family Housing, Feed the Children, Shelter for the Homeless, The City of Hope and Kids Creating Peace.

15. She is a well-rounded achiever.

She played varsity basketball in high school, won Miss Georgia runner-up in 1983 and became the first-ever winner of the Miss Resaca Beach Poster Girl Contest in the same year.

16. Marla Maples met Donald Trump on Madison Avenue. They have one daughter together, Tiffany Trump, born in 1993.

17. Their relationship gave birth to the New York Post's infamous headline "Best Sex I've Ever Had" in 1990.

18. During their prenup negotiation, Trump allegedly said he was worth $1.17 billion, while Marla disclosed $100,000 in the bank.

19. Maples reportedly wanted $25 million, but Donald negotiated to pay Marla $1 million if they separated within five years – and another $1 million for a house purchase.

She agreed to Donald's terms hoping he would renegotiate a better deal in five years. "We basically came to an agreement that for the first few years we would agree on something and then tear it up," she told a journalist. They got divorced after being married for four years.

20. Trump's $100,000 child support payments for Tiffany would also stop when she turned 21 – or sooner if she got a full-time job, decided to enlist in the military or joined the Peace Corps.

"The way it was drawn up is ironclad and shows how wary he was," divorce lawyer Raoul Felder said. "He was leaving nothing to chance."

21. Melania Knauss, Donald Trump's third and current wife, was born Melanija Knavs.

22. She is the only First Lady to become a naturalized United States citizen.

23. Born in Sevnica, Yugoslavia (now in Slovenia), she is also the second First Lady born outside of the United States.

24. She began her modeling career at 16.

Throughout her career, she has appeared in many high-profile ad campaigns and has worked with some of the best photographers in the fashion industry.

25. Melania and Donald Trump met in 1998 at a fashion industry party in New York City. He was still married to Marla Maples at the time.

26. Hillary and Bill Clinton were guests at their wedding in 2005.

They got married at The Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.

27. She served as Honorary Chairwoman for the Martha Graham Dance Company in 2005.

She was also awarded Goodwill Ambassador by the American Red Cross in the same year. She was named Woman of the Year in 2006 by the Police Athletic League. She also served five years as Honorary Chairwoman for the Boys' Club of New York. In 2010, she served as the Chairwoman of the American Heart Association.

28. As the First Lady during Donald Trump's presidency, she focused on many issues affecting children in America.

She also spent a lot of time visiting children in classrooms, hospitals and care facilities all over the world, on top of hosting them at the White House.

29. She launched the BE BEST initiative, for which she became the ambassador of kindness.

The campaign focused on the well-being of children and the pursuit of programs for a better future for the next generation

30. Melania and Donald Trump have been married for 17 years and have a son, Barron Trump, born in 2006.