It’s hard to imagine Donald Trump Jr. pulling off the charm required to snag a wife, let alone staying married for over a decade, but somehow, he and Vanessa Trump made it work — for 12 years, no less — welcoming five children along the way. Their marriage eventually unraveled in 2018, and while Don Jr. wasted no time cozying up to longtime girlfriend (and fiance) Kimberly Guilfoyle, Vanessa has remained a steady presence in the family’s orbit. And from the looks of things, that’s not changing anytime soon.
When they called it quits, sources didn’t hold back on why Vanessa walked. Apparently, Don Jr. was a massive cheapskate. “He treats her like a second-class citizen,” the insider told Page Six. “He gives her very little help and has been keeping her on a tight budget. She doesn’t live a lavish life and can very rarely pick up a check at dinner.” As if being stingy wasn’t enough, Vanessa reportedly couldn’t stand his social media antics, including lying about being a competent dad. “She hates that he posts stuff online, pictures of their kids and how he paints the picture of him as a perfect father, like he’s Mr. Dad. It’s not the truth. And when he’s not away on business trips, he’s hunting and fishing.”
Given all this, you’d think Vanessa would want to keep the Trumps at arm’s length, outside of co-parenting their kids. But nope — she’s still showing up to big family moments, proving that she hasn’t completely cut ties and is still very much part of the picture.
It looks like Vanessa and Don Jr. are still peacefully co-parenting post-divorce
When we say Vanessa Trump is still in the picture, we mean it quite literally. On Election Night 2024, she and Donald Trump Jr.’s daughter, Kai, shared a photo on X, formerly Twitter, featuring the entire family — including Vanessa — captioned “the whole squad.” Vanessa also made a cameo in Kai’s vlog from the evening, showing her mingling with the Trumps as if it were just another family get-together. Judging by her relaxed demeanor, she doesn’t seem to mind the company.
The whole squad pic.twitter.com/5yQVkFiney
— Kai Trump (@kaitrump) November 6, 2024
To be fair, this isn’t exactly shocking. Vanessa has made it clear she and Don Jr. are, at the very least, on civil terms. Back in 2018, she even came to Kimberly Guilfoyle’s defense when Don Jr. went public with his new romance. In a tweet, Vanessa wrote, “The lengths people will go to attack a woman simply because she’s dating Don. We … respect each other’s decisions & privacy … Would be nice if the press did the same rather than obsess over our (private) lives!”
But don’t confuse civility with being chummy. While Vanessa and Don Jr. continue to co-parent their five kids, they’re not exactly friends. “Donald Jr. and Vanessa are not fond of each other, but will do what is necessary to protect the kids from any issues,” a source close to the Trumps told People, noting that while they may also have polite exchanges at family events, they don’t necessarily love being around each other. “I don’t think they will be vacationing together unless there are separate accommodations in a large place for each.” And so while Vanessa hasn’t fully ghosted the Trumps, she’s definitely keeping them at arm’s length (or perhaps just Don Jr.) — and probably for good reason.
