Why did Vanessa Trump divorce Donald Trump Jr.?

They say there’s someone for everyone, and while I’m usually an optimist and a hopeless (but a realistic) romantic, it’s still surprising anyone would marry Donald Trump Jr. Well, someone did, and that was Vanessa Trump.

The couple tied the knot in 2005 at Mar-a-Lago, which, honestly, is enough of a reason to get divorced immediately. However, the marriage didn’t last, and now Vanessa is in a new relationship with Tiger Woods. Moving on is in the air, apparently, because Don Jr. stopped dating Kimberly Guilfoyle and began seeing Bettina Anderson last year. So, while both Vanessa and Don Jr. have new loves in their lives, why did she decide their marriage was over?

What is the reason Vanessa Trump divorced Donald Trump Jr.?

As is often the case with high-profile or celebrity divorces, Vanessa and Don Jr. put out a positive statement when they shared they were ending their marriage. According to PEOPLE, the statement read, “We are incredibly lucky to have five amazing children and are committed to raising them together. Our kids and their happiness will always be our first priority.”

Okay, but since Vanessa is the one who filed for divorce, what’s the real story? Sources say there are two main reasons why Vanessa divorced Don Jr.: finances, and his alleged infidelity. A source told Page Six that Don Jr. was “keeping her on a tight budget” and Vanessa even asked her mom for money. According to Us Weekly, sources say Don Jr. had an affair with Audrey O’Day, when both appeared on The Celebrity Apprentice season 5. Vanessa allegedly learned what was going on in 2012 by reading their emails. O’Day has talked about Don Jr. in countless interviews, including a 2024 Call Her Daddy podcast episode.

If you were wondering what Ivana Trump thought about Don Jr.’s alleged cheating with O’Day, she said it was “distressing,” and then delivered this line that I would have rather not heard: “I honestly don’t know that many men who can keep their zippers up.” Yeah, she really said that about her son.

Page Six also reported that Vanessa’s friends said she wasn’t a fan of him sharing their five kids on his social media account and he often went fishing, hunting, and traveled for work.

The Hollywood Reporter also pointed out that Don Jr. once complained about Vanessa not wanting to eat bacon (I wish I was making this up). On Nov. 13, 2013, he tweeted, “Thought I was having dinner w @MrsVanessaTrump till i saw her remove bacon from a sandwich. Who are u & what have u done w my wife?” Is that the worst thing a spouse can do?! Now if your husband or wife ate your last piece of bacon, that might be grounds for divorce.

Maybe the problem is Vanessa met Don Jr. because his dad came over at an NYC fashion show and said “Hi, I’m Donald Trump. I wanted to introduce you to my son Donald Trump Jr.” So romantic. That’s what meet cute dreams are made of.

Well, Vanessa and Don Jr. may no longer be married, but Vanessa and her kids are still very much in the Trump universe. In Nov. 2024, Vanessa and Don Jr.’s daughter Kai posted a picture and said Elon Musk was “achieving uncle status.” I wonder what Grimes would think about that?