The Real Reason Donald Trump Jr.'s Wife Is Divorcing Him
Donald Trump Jr. and his wife, Vanessa Trump, have announced their separation. While sources close to the couple seem to be divided on whether or not this is shocking news, there have been indicators lurking for years that perhaps Don Jr. isn't the easiest spouse in the world to have and to hold. From his controversial big game hunting trips, to his increasingly hostile Twitter beefs, to his workaholic nature, we can imagine any one of these sparking an awkward dinner table fight.
But the reason for their divorce, speculative as it may be at this point, is possibly even simpler than all of that. Perhaps being a Trump is just too stressful these days. Vanessa has reportedly had her fill of living her life in the glare of a presidential spotlight, and Don Jr. has clearly had some major issues with it as well.
While we wait for the inevitable tell-all memoir or prime-time news special, let's take a look at what we feel are the real reasons Don Jr.'s wife is divorcing him.
A united division
On March 14th, 2018, Page Six reported that Donald Trump Jr. and his wife of more than a decade, Vanessa Trump, were having "marital problems" and likely "headed for divorce." The next day, the Trumps announced they were indeed separating via a joint statement issued to the very same publication.
"After 12 years of marriage, we have decided to go our separate ways," the statement said. "We will always have tremendous respect for each other and our families. We have five beautiful children together and they remain our top priority. We ask for your privacy during this time."
According to TMZ sources, Vanessa filed the legal documents "seeking an uncontested proceeding," which the tab suggests is an indication that the power couple had a strong prenuptial agreement in place.
Love at first slight
In what was decidedly not a scene out of a romantic comedy, Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump met when Don Jr.'s dad awkwardly introduced them at a 2003 fashion show. Twice.
Speaking with The New York Times, Vanessa recalled the strange encounters. The elder Donald approached her and said, "Hi, I'm Donald Trump. I wanted to introduce you to my son Donald Trump Jr." After a brief chat, they parted ways, except The Donald supposedly returned moments later, Junior in tow, repeating the same introductory line.
Stranger yet: Vanessa also told the Times that she and Don Jr. were reintroduced six weeks later and "neither remembered the other," until suddenly Vanessa had a revelation, and recalled him as "the one with the retarded dad!" Oof.
Two years later, they built their marriage on that rock solid foundation at her father-in-law's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla.
Did Don Jr. have a not-so-secret affair?
As the fallout from their divorce announcement continued to pile up, Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa suffered another embarrassing blow when Us Weekly reported on an alleged affair between Don Jr. and singer Aubrey O'Day. Multiple sources said Don Jr. and O-Day hooked up for about three months from late 2011 until March 2012, following O'Day's appearance on Season 5 of Celebrity Apprentice.
One source told Us Weekly that the affair began toward the end of the season and got "very serious all of a sudden." According to one source, "He told her it was over with his wife, that they were separated and he didn't love her — all of that stuff ... Aubrey fell for him hard. She thought they were going to be together for real."
Subsequent Us Weekly reports suggested that Don Jr. and O'Day "weren't the most careful" about the tryst. Sources claimed they spent "a lot of time together" and "called and texted all the time too." Another insider said Don Jr. "would look at her like a piece of meat," but was "equally taken by her intellect. She impressed him a lot on the show. She was smart." The affair supposedly came to an end after Vanessa found emails between the two lovers.
Trollin' Trollin' Trollin'
Another reason Vanessa Trump may have hit the eject button: she may have become increasingly less impressed with her husband's social media presence — specifically, Donald Trump Jr.'s Twitter account.
One source told Page Six that Don. Jr.'s account merely reflects his "bold and aggressive nature," but another insider claimed even his friends have become "concerned" about his tweeting. The tab cited his Twitter spat with a survivor of the Parkland, Fla. school shooting; his message urging his father to "stay strong on gun rights and hold firm against any assault weapons ban;" and his controversial joke about teaching his daughter about socialism by giving her candy "to some kid who sat at home." There's been much, much more, and the controversial communications have only increased since his father launched his successful bid for the presidency.
Sources claim he's cheap
After somehow landing a model who used to date Leonardo DiCaprio, you'd probably want to pull out all of the stops when it comes to your engagement and wedding, right? Not Donald Trump Jr.
The heir to his family's real estate throne started things off by being labeled a cheapskate by the New York Post when it came time to pony up for an engagement ring. According to the tab, Junior proposed to Vanessa inside a jewelry store at a New Jersey mall while the paparazzi and TV cameras conveniently captured the moment. In exchange for the publicity and future promotional appearances, Vanessa's $100,000 ring was on the house.
As for the wedding itself, Don Jr. once again took the cheap way out. He held their 2005 wedding at Mar-a-Lago, his family's Florida golf club — the same locale where Trump Sr. married his third wife, Melania, just a few months earlier. That had to be special.
Some sources say that frugality continued during their marriage, claiming Don Jr. "treats her like a second-class citizen" and keeps her on such a tight budget that she had to ask her mom for money, reported Page Six.
Vanessa's camp denied those claims. Her spokesperson said, "Don and Vanessa have tremendous respect for each other and always have. The notion that she has had to rely on her family for assistance is absolutely false and utterly ridiculous."
Their hearts did not grow fonder
Donald Trump Jr. is a passionate hunter and outdoorsman, and while Vanessa Trump has accompanied him on some of his beloved outdoor adventures, his traveling for both work and sport has allegedly caused a strain on their marriage. "Vanessa is a devoted mother, but she is increasingly lonely and alone in the house with the children," sources told Page Six.
Other sources said Don Jr. "has a busy travel schedule now as he always does," and to his credit, he has always been up front about that. In fact, the Trump scion once told The New York Times, "For some people — you see that in New York a lot — they go hunting once every other year and they talk about it at a cocktail party for the next two years until they do it again. For me, it is the way I choose to live my life."
In other words: If Don Jr. was put in a position to choose between Vanessa and the great outdoors, it's pretty clear he'd already be wearing his blaze orange before giving his answer.
Camera shy
This one could just be a fluke because the pair has appeared together in social media snaps as recently as early February 2018, but Town & Country pointed out that Mr. and Mrs. have not been "professionally photographed" since they attended the National Tree Lighting Ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 30, 2017.
Prior to that, snaps of Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump together hadn't made it into the photo agencies since Easter that year, when they also attended an event at the White House.
Could this be an indication that they've been "living separate lives" as "friends" have supposedly suggested? Or could it just be the fact that they spend most of their time in New York City and aren't exactly high priority targets for the paparazzi?
Making lemonade out of the dissolution of his marriage
How are Vanessa and Don Jr. holding up as their dissolving marriage dominates the headlines? Not too shabby, if you're making assumptions based on the latter's social media accounts. On the same day the couple announced it was headed to splitsville, he posted a smiling photo with his daughter Chloe (above – full photo here) to his Instagram with the caption, "No matter what is going on bedtime cuddling with the smurf puts a Yuge smile on my face. #bedtime#daddysgirl #cuddle."
Of course, it's nice to see that the kids haven't yet been dragged into the ugliness that celebrity divorces tend to become, but this is a pretty great contender for the photo that should accompany the phrase "too soon" in the Urban Dictionary.
Sources have already told TMZ that Don Jr. is actually "relieved" that his marriage is crumbling. That may be the case, but Page Six reported that Vanessa hired a famed criminal defense attorney to represent her in the divorce, so yeah ... might want to shelf those sunny selfies for a while, Don.