Vanessa Trump Is Dating Tiger Woods, but Why Did She Divorce Donald Trump Jr.?
The couple never publicly explained why they got divorced.
Published March 14 2025, 10:33 a.m. ET

Although her ex-husband has been at the center of political life, Vanessa Trump has managed to keep a fairly low profile in recent years. She was married to Donald Trump Jr. for more than a decade, and now, reports suggest that she has been quietly dating Tiger Woods.
Following the news that the two of them were in a relationship, many wanted to know more about her divorce, including when it went down and whether there was any reason for the proceeding. Here's what we know.

Why did Vanessa Trump and Donald Trump Jr. get divorced?
Vanessa and Don Jr. got divorced in 2018 after first marrying in 2005. At the time she filed for divorce, the proceeding was uncontested, although Don Jr. eventually decided to contest certain terms. The two eventually agreed on custody, but no reason for the divorce was ever disclosed to the public.
All we can do, then, is speculate about what may have led the two of them to split.
Vanessa first filed for divorce in March of 2018, and the agreement was finalized less than a year later.
“We are incredibly lucky to have five amazing children and are committed to raising them together,” they said in a statement. “Our kids and their happiness will always be our first priority.”
The two reportedly maintained a cordial relationship in the aftermath of their split, and were seen together at Mar-a-Lago.
According to reporting in Page Six, part of the reason Vanessa filed for divorce was because of millions in inheritance that she earned when her father died. Her "family’s newfound financial security” “emboldened” Vanessa to seek a divorce.
Shortly after the two split, he began dating Republican firebrand and former Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle, although we don't know when exactly that romance started.
The reasons for their divorce may never be publicly known.
Based on Page Six's reporting, it seems like Vanessa may have been considering divorce for some time, and only took action once she knew that she and her family wouldn't need to rely on Trump's money to maintain their lifestyle.
We don't know what motivated her decision to seek a divorce, although it is noteworthy that she has never seemed to be an overly political person, and Don Jr. became more and more political as his dan ran for and then won the presidency.
It's also possible that infidelity or simple marital unhappiness may have led to the divorce, but what seems clear is that the two are still very willing to defend one another. They might not be married anymore, but it definitely doesn't seem like they hate each other.
When people started coming at Kimberly for their new relationship, Vanessa even publicly defended her.
“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 and privacy,” Vanessa wrote. “We’ll focus on raising our great kids. Would be nice if the press did the same rather than obsess over our pvt lives!”