Marla Maples is making the rounds in the media after being eliminated from Dancing with the Stars last week with her dance partner, Tony Dovolani. Maples isn’t talking about her gig on the show this week but about her divorce from billionaire businessman and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Maples spoke with People magazine about the common misconceptions people have since her divorce from Trump. The 52-year-old was married to Trump from 1994 to 1999.
“I was never with him for his money. I wasn’t there for the glamorous life or the riches,” said Maples.
Marla Maples opens up about surprisingly modest lifestyle after her split from Donald Trump https://t.co/p4zqQmxzeN pic.twitter.com/E9KhYLLLXB
— People Magazine (@people) April 19, 2016
“I kind of giggle about it when I hear people describe me living some lavish lifestyle,” she says. “I live in a 740-sq.-ft. apartment. Who are they talking about?”
Maples said that even before she and the real estate tycoon split, living in excess made her uncomfortable.
“Putting on gowns and going out hosting events and having Harry Winston put jewelry on my hands was always uncomfortable for me – that was me playing a role,” Maples said. “I felt that’s what the job called for. To me, it’s never about how much money you have. It’s about how are you connecting with each other, supporting each other?”
Maples said another misconception about her divorce from Trump is that people think she’s paid not to talk about him. She denies receiving any type of compensation to keep quiet about their life and that since she only received $2 million in their divorce settlement, she didn’t exactly make off with a tidy sum of cash.
“People saying, ‘He pays her not to talk about him?’ – that’s not true,” Maples said. “I feel very blessed for how my life is, but I do have to laugh when people think I walked away with a fortune.”
The actress reveals that she and Trump “differed” on numerous things and how they “looked at the world.” The pair also disagreed on how they wanted to raise their daughter, Tiffany Trump, 22.
Marla eventually sold her jewelry in an effort to get more money.
What does Donald Trump have to say about all of this?
“I’ve been very generous to Marla and am happy to have been so,” he told People .
. @itsmarlamaples talks @DancingABC , @realDonaldTrump & more! #PrimaryDay https://t.co/I8gblOKJge pic.twitter.com/UDkPm4QQy2
— Wendy Williams (@WendyWilliams) April 19, 2016
Marla Maples also opened up to Access Hollywood about her marriage to Donald Trump. She told the celebrity news source that she and Trump didn’t exactly bring out the best in each other, and she knew there was no real chance of changing anything about him.
“I think you always hope in a marriage that you can bring the best out in each other,” Maples shared. “But after many years, we realized we weren’t. And then, you have to move on. You know girls when we’re in our twenties. We want to change the men we’re with, we think that love is going to make them a little softer, and you think, ‘I will learn how to speak out stronger for what I believe in.’ Because I’m a Southern girl and I often just smile and keep on going. But I have my own thoughts and my own views, and it’s time now to express them.”
Tiffany is another reason why Maples refuses to say anything unfavorable about her ex. She said she won’t bash him in public, because he’s the father of her daughter and that obviously they have their differences or they would still be married!
Maples revealed that she was also drawn to Trump because she sensed a vulnerability about him that’s virtually unseen in the public eye.
In all, Marla Maples appears to be on good terms with Donald Trump and doesn’t hold any grudges against him.
[Photo by Chris Pizzello/AP Images]
