Blaine Trump: Who Is Robert Trump's Ex-Wife?
President Donald Trump lost his youngest brother Robert Trump, who died at the age of 71 on Aug. 15, 2020. It's not very often that you hear the president talk about his family members, but since he's been in office, most of his siblings and extended family have supported him. Donald said in a statement to press that he and his brother were "best friends," even though they were estranged up until Donald won the 2016 election, per CNN. Since then, Robert held fundraisers for his brother and even went so far as to sue Mary Trump, Fred Trump Jr.'s daughter, for writing a tell-all book about the family.
Robert was a top executive of the Trump Organization, per CNN, and was married to Ann Marie Pallan at the time of his death. He had no children, but according to The New York Times, Robert was a father figure to Christopher Hollister Trump-Retchin, the son of his first wife, Blaine Trump, whom he was married to from 1984 until 2008. There's not a whole lot of information about their time together, but it's safe to say that Blaine has moved on from her romantic relationship with Robert, even if she keeps the Trump last name.
Blaine and Robert Trump's divorce was highly publicized
Much like her ex-husband Robert Trump, Blaine kept a low profile as a New York City socialite. She married the real estate mogul in 1984. Blaine grew up in Japan, where her father worked for IBM throughout the 1960s, per People. She dropped out of the University of Tokyo and had a short-lived marriage to Peter Retchin, with whom she had her son, Christopher. She met Robert — who eventually adopted her son — at a fundraiser and fell in love.
Per the same outlet, Robert said of Blaine in 1998, "I literally saw her across the room at a fund-raiser and made a beeline to find out who she was." Alas, by 2010, they were officially divorced, though they had been separated since 2007, per New York magazine. Robert reportedly was seeing his secretary, Ann Marie Pallan, whom he later ended up marrying, per the New York Post.
In 2007, New York Social Diary's David Patrick Columbia discussed the tabloid-worthy divorce with New York mag, who reported Blaine was "much more connected" than her ex, Robert. "And she'll be well fixed, so she'll be able to keep her apartment and her dinner parties," Columbia said of the socialite. Since then, Blaine has continued to live the life of an influencer in New York.
Blaine Trump is a New York City socialite
Since divorcing Robert Trump, Blaine Trump has been partnered up with entrepreneur Steve Simon. She spends most of her time giving back to others. Per People Pill, she is a trustee for the American Ballet Theatre, fundraises for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and is the vice chair of the board of directors for God's Love We Deliver, an organization that delivers meals to homebound people. On social media, Blaine often posts memes promoting social justice, her fave basketball teams, and even videos of her and Simon wearing sweaters embroidered with marijuana leaves to help fundraise for her organizations.
Following the news of Robert's passing, Blaine posted a picture on Instagram of them out and about back when they were together. She captioned the pic, "Always and always Robert....thank you for the wonderful memories, we had a great run until the painful ending. You will always have a place in my heart and Christopher's." Although she is no longer married into the Trump family, Blaine is still obviously very connected to them.
Does Blaine Trump support her former brother-in-law Donald Trump?
It's hard to tell exactly how Blaine Trump feels about her former brother-in-law, Donald Trump. Although they reportedly weren't always very close, Blaine's ex-husband Robert Trump was vocally supportive of his brother in recent years, per the Associated Press. Donald visited Robert at the hospital in New York City before his death. Per the AP, the president said, "I have a wonderful brother. We've had a great relationship for a long time, from day one. He's in the hospital right now, and hopefully he'll be all right."
According to the New York Post, Robert and Donald could not have been more different from each other, though. A source told the outlet of Robert, "He's not flamboyant. He couldn't be more different than his brother, quite frankly. I don't even know how they're in the same family." If the two men were so different (and maybe not even close for part of their life), it's possible that Blaine is not super close with Donald either. However, according to Vogue, she did attend the 2017 inauguration.
Interestingly, instead of discussing politics, Blaine kept her comments focused on fashion — and the first lady. "Melania is an extremely beautiful woman who wears clothes with ease and style," she said. "What she chooses to wear as First Lady will have an impact on future fashion trends. I think it will be a very glamorous time in Washington during the Trump administration."