Vanessa Trump

Vanessa Trump
Trump in 2017
Born
Vanessa Kay Pergolizzi

(1977-12-18) December 18, 1977 (age 46)
New York City, U.S.
Alma materMarymount Manhattan College
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2005; div. 2018)​
PartnerPrince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud (1998–2001)
Children5
RelativesKai Ewans (grandfather)

Vanessa Kay Trump[1] (née Pergolizzi, later Haydon; born December 18, 1977) is the former wife of Donald Trump Jr. They were married from 2005 to 2018.

Early life

Vanessa Kay Pergolizzi[2] grew up in a townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan[3] and attended The Dwight School,[4] a private school. Charles Haydon, her stepfather,[5] to whom some news articles have referred as her father,[6][7] was a lawyer. Her mother, Bonnie Kay Haydon, ran Kay Models, a modeling agency, and is of Danish origin.[8][9] Her maternal grandfather was Danish jazz musician Kai Ewans.[9][10]

Career

During the 1990s, in her teens and twenties, Vanessa was a model[11] and was signed to Wilhelmina Models.[12]

As an actress, Vanessa appeared in a scene of the film Something's Gotta Give (2003).[13]

In the fall of 2003, Vanessa and her sister Veronika opened a nightclub called 'Sessa'.[14]

In 2011, Vanessa appeared in an episode of The Apprentice (hosted by her father-in-law, Donald Trump). She also appeared in an episode of Bret Michaels: Life as I Know It (2010).[12][failed verification]

From 2010 to 2013, Vanessa released her own line of handbags called La Poshett.[15]

Personal life

During her teenage years, Vanessa dated local street gangster Valentin Rivera.[16][17]

In 1998, Vanessa was linked with American actor Leonardo DiCaprio.[18][19]

From 1998 to 2001, Vanessa dated Saudi prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud.[20] The relationship ended following the September 11 attacks, when Khalid bin Bandar left the U.S. after his Saudi ambassador father, Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, was suspected of having indirect ties to the Al Qaeda hijackers.[21]

On November 12, 2005, Vanessa married Donald Trump Jr. The wedding was held at the Mar-a-Lago club in Florida; the service was officiated by Trump Jr.'s aunt, Judge Maryanne Trump Barry.[22] Trump Jr. had proposed to her with a US$100,000 ring (equivalent to $156,000 in 2023) that he had received as a gift from a jeweler in exchange for proposing to her in front of paparazzi outside of the jeweler's store at the Short Hills mall in New Jersey.[23]

Vanessa and Don Jr. have five children together: daughter Kai Madison (b. May 2007); son Donald John III (b. February 2009); son Tristan Milos (b. October 2011); son Spencer Frederick (b. October 2012); and daughter Chloe Sophia (b. June 2014).[24][25][26] The oldest daughter, Kai, is named after her late great-grandfather Kai Ewans, a well-known musician.[27][28]

On March 15, 2018, it was reported that Vanessa filed for an uncontested divorce in New York; however, it was later revealed that the divorce was contested.[4][29] In July 2018, they resolved a child custody issue,[30] and the divorce was settled at the end of 2018.[31]

References

  1. ^ Harwood, Erika (March 16, 2018). "Turns Out Vanessa Trump Might Have Been the Most Interesting One in the Family". Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  2. ^ Norman, Lianna (July 18, 2024). "Who is Kai Trump? What we know about Trump's oldest grandchild who lives in Florida". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved July 18, 2024. ...former model Vanessa Kay Trump, formerly Vanessa Kay Pergolizzi.
  3. ^ Williams, Alex (November 19, 2006). "A Name He Can Build On". The New York Times.
  4. ^ a b Rosman, Katharine; Bernstein, Jacob (March 22, 2018). "Unbecoming a Trump: The Vanessa Trump Divorce". The New York Times. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  5. ^ Ioffe, Julia (June 20, 2018). "The Real Story of Donald Trump Jr". GQ. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  6. ^ Rosman, Katherine; Bernstein, Jacob (March 22, 2018). "Unbecoming a Trump: The Vanessa Trump Divorce". The New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  7. ^ "Vanessa Haydon, Donald Trump Jr". The New York Times. November 13, 2005. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  8. ^ "Vidtse du det? Her er Trumps danske forbindelse". avisen.dk (in Danish). March 30, 2016. Archived from the original on December 30, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Trumps svigerdatter på hemmeligt besøg på lille dansk ø. Den familiære forbindelse mellem Danmark og den amerikanske præsident er tættere end hidtil antaget". dr.dk (in Danish). June 2017. Archived from the original on June 17, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  10. ^ "Vidtse du det? Her er Trumps danske forbindelse". avisen.dk (in Danish). March 30, 2016. Archived from the original on December 30, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  11. ^ Zielinski, Linnea (March 16, 2018). "See Vanessa Haydon before she became a Trump". Metro.
  12. ^ a b Ross, Martha (March 23, 2018). "Vanessa Trump's early bids for fame included getting known as Leonardo DiCaprio's favorite girlfriend". The Mercury News.[failed verification]
  13. ^ Sathish, Madhuri (July 12, 2015). "Vanessa Trump Was In A Movie You Might Remember". Bustle. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  14. ^ "Models Inc". WWD. January 13, 2003.
  15. ^ Haltiwanger, John (July 11, 2017). "Donald Trump Jr.'s Wife Shows He's Really Following In His Father's Footsteps". Elite Daily.
  16. ^ Coleman, Oli (May 8, 2018). "Vanessa Trump's first love was member of violent street gang". Page Six.
  17. ^ McAfee, Tierney (May 10, 2018). "Inside Vanessa Trump's Teen Love Letters: She Allegedly Told Latin King Ex-Boyfriend She Wanted a Baby at 18". People.
  18. ^ Sutton, Candace (May 3, 1998). "The face that sank a thousand hopes". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  19. ^ Dixon, Christine Liwag (October 11, 2023). "The Stunning Transformation Of Vanessa Trump". The List.
  20. ^ "Vanessa Trump Almost Married a Saudi Prince Before Donald Trump Jr.: Report". People. May 14, 2018.
  21. ^ Harwood, Erika (May 14, 2018). "Did 9/11 Keep Vanessa Trump from Marrying a Saudi Prince?". Vanity Fair.
  22. ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (November 14, 2005). "Donald Trump Jr. Marries Model Girlfriend". People. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  23. ^ Blair, Gwenda (July 13, 2017). "How Donald Trump Jr. Got Stuck In His Father's Shadow". Politico. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  24. ^ "Donald Trump Jr. Welcomes Son Donald John III". People. February 18, 2009.
  25. ^ Ravitz, Justin (October 3, 2011). "Vanessa, Donald Trump Jr. Welcome Baby Boy Tristan Milos". US Magazine.
  26. ^ Michaud, Sarah (June 18, 2014). "Donald and Vanessa Trump Welcome Daughter Chloe Sophia". People. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  27. ^ "Løkke om Trump-sejr: Det lykkes sjældent én mand at rive det hele ned". November 9, 2016.
  28. ^ "Vidtse du det? Her er Trumps danske forbindelse". March 30, 2016. Archived from the original on December 30, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  29. ^ Brown, Stephen Rex (March 15, 2018). "Donald Trump Jr.'s wife Vanessa files for divorce". NY Daily News.
  30. ^ Neumeister, Larry (July 26, 2018). "Trump Jr, wife resolve child custody amid divorce". Associated Press. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  31. ^ Vulpo, Mike (February 22, 2019). "Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump Finalize Their Divorce". E! Online. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.