Why Trump's first ex-wife preferred Melania over Marla Maples? ‘She got away with…'

Ivana Trump expressed a preference for Melania Trump over Marla Maples, calling Donald Trump's second wife a “nobody”.

Published on: Oct 19, 2025, 21:55:39 IST

By Shweta Kukreti

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Ivana Trump, Donald Trump's first wife, once disclosed that she liked Melania Trump over Marla Maples, his second wife. Calling Marla “nobody,” she hinted that she had no issues with Melania Trump since she is a significant figure.

Ivana Trump favored Melania over Marla Maples, dismissing Maples as a 'showgirl. (AP)

In an interview with CBS's Sunday Morning, Ivana stated that “One is a nobody, the other is First Lady.”

When Ivana and Donald initially started dating in the 1970s, they were the talk of New York. However, according to CBS correspondent Jim Axelrod, everything fell apart in the 1990s as Trump's affair with Marla Maples resulted in a contentious divorce, the Irish Star reported.

“If she’ll never forgive his second wife, she has no issues with her third,” he stated.

Also Read: No Kings protest: Mehdi Hasan brutally trolls Trump with dig on his wives, ‘The great irony is…’

Ivana called Marla a ‘showgirl’

When asked about Marla, Ivana firmly stated that she didn't want to discuss Trump's second wife.

Calling her “a showgirl” who has never accomplished anything in life, Ivana remarked, “I don’t want to talk about her.”

Axelrod suspected that something was wrong, that Ivana faulted Marla for the affair and refused to address her by name, but Donald was exonerated.

“Well, she was flirting. And she got away with it,” Ivana clarified without blaming Trump as she claimed that the women were throwing themselves at him.

“Donald would get 1,000 business cards in his pocket every night. He could choose any girl he wanted to have, so,” she added.

Ivana and Trump's divorce and their three children

Despite their 1990 divorce, Ivana and Trump raised three children together, and Ivana was quite proud of them when they appeared on stage for their father's first presidential campaign.

Trump spoke well about Ivana at her funeral after she passed away in 2022 at the age of 73.

He said that his ex-wife, who is also the mother of his three kids, “never gave up” and “took nothing for granted.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shweta Kukreti
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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