Vanessa Trump’s personal life is once again in the headlines after the former model and socialite revealed that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The 48-year-old mother of five shared the emotional health update on Instagram on May 20, 2026, thanking her doctors, family, and loved ones for supporting her during recovery after undergoing a medical procedure “earlier this week”.
Vanessa revealed that she has been “working closely with my medical team on a treatment plan.” While her children have been in close contact with her in this journey, with daughter Kai Trump calling her the “strongest person I know,” the attention has shifted to Vanessa’s ex-husband, Donald Trump Jr. The former spouses divorced in 2018 after 13 years of marital bliss and five children together.
What led to Vanessa Trump and Donald Trump Jr.’s divorce?
It was in March 2018 that Vanessa filed for a divorce from Donald Trump Jr. after 13 years of marriage. At the time, the split was described as an “uncontested” divorce, suggesting the two initially planned to separate amicably. However, reports later claimed that disagreements over finances and custody complicated the proceedings before the divorce was finalised later that year.
Vanessa and Donald Trump Jr. first met in 2003 after being introduced by Donald Trump himself at a fashion show, as per a New York Times report. After dating for nearly two years, the couple got married on November 13, 2005, at the Trump family’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Interestingly, it was the same venue where Donald Trump married Melania Trump earlier that same year. During their 13-year marriage, Vanessa and Donald Jr. welcomed five children together: Kai, Donald III, Tristan, Spencer, and Chloe.
Soon after announcing their separation, Vanessa and Donald Jr. released a joint statement with PEOPLE, emphasising that they still had “tremendous respect” for one another and their families. The former couple also made it clear that their five children would remain their top priority as they moved forward separately. They ended the statement by requesting privacy during the difficult period. Their statement could be read as:
“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.”
What Donald Trump has said about the reason for Vanessa and Don Jr.’s divorce
ss taken from Kai Trump’s IG Story
While the initial reports had been murky about what could have caused the former spouses to split, it was years later that Vanessa’s former father-in-law, President Donald Trump, addressed that painful chapter. In April 2025, shortly after Vanessa had publicly acknowledged her newfound romance with legendary golfer Tiger Woods, the president addressed the situation.
During a press meet, the president revealed that the intense scrutiny surrounding the Russia investigation took a brutal toll on his son’s marriage with Vanessa, and it significantly strained their relationship. While Don Jr. “had a very good relationship” with his ex-wife, the years of public pressure and investigation reportedly affected their family life. The president was quoted as saying:
“I happen to think the relationship with my son was hurt very badly by the witch hunt [about] Russia, Russia, Russia and all the c**p they put Don through … Vanessa and Don had a very good relationship. They have five incredible children. All great athletes, all good students. They broke up quite a while ago, which, to me, was very sad because I think they’re both great.”
Did Don Jr.’s alleged infidelity have something to do with the split?
Over the years, numerous speculations have surfaced regarding the possible marital woes of Vanessa and Don Jr. that eventually led to their divorce. A major talking point was the rising allegations of Donald Trump Jr.’s infidelity. Reports claimed that Don Jr. allegedly had an affair with singer Aubrey O’Day after meeting her during The Celebrity Apprentice in 2011. Vanessa reportedly discovered emails connected to the alleged relationship in 2012. However, these details were never confirmed by either party.
Another aspect that raised eyebrows was how quickly Don Jr. seemed to have “moved on” with his new romance with Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, shortly after the divorce filing in 2018. Amid heated discussion on online forums about another alleged infidelity, it was Vanessa who had publicly defended the relationship, saying in a tweet on X:
“The lengths people will go to attack a woman simply because she’s dating Don. We’ve been separated for over 9 months and respect each other’s decisions & privacy. We’ll focus on raising our great kids. It would be nice if the press did the same rather than obsess over our private lives!”
Where does Vanessa and Don Jr.’s relationship stand now?
Despite their divorce, Vanessa Trump and Donald Trump Jr. appear to maintain a cordial co-parenting relationship for the sake of their five children. Vanessa has since moved on with Tiger Woods, a relationship which has been strongly approved by President Trump. Sources close to the family later claimed that Donald Trump Jr. was supportive of the relationship as well, while Donald Trump himself publicly gave the couple his blessing.
Donald Jr., on the other hand, began dating Guilfoyle after the divorce filing, and the two remained together for several years, but they eventually drifted apart. He later moved on with his now-fiancée, Bettina Anderson, a model and Palm Beach socialite. The pair got engaged in December 2025 and are reportedly set to marry over Memorial Day weekend (May 23 to 25, 2026) in an intimate ceremony on a private island in the Bahamas.
PC: Vanessa Trump/Instagram, Kai Trump/Instagram, X
As of now, Donald Trump Jr. has not publicly addressed Vanessa’s breast cancer diagnosis, but the family’s social media posts and insider claims suggest the two remain on amicable terms and still live in the same Palm Beach social circle.
Even after moving on romantically, Vanessa and Don Jr. have reportedly maintained a respectful relationship behind the scenes, especially when it comes to parenting their children together.
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