Meet Marla Maples

Marla Maples sits in a lovely garden somewhere in the U.K., about two hours from Cambridge University. Behind her rises a centuries-old stone building, the likes of which can only be found in the English countryside. “We found this place this morning,” she says as she swings her phone around to share the pastoral beauty surrounding an ancient
rectory during our Zoom interview in June. “I’ve got my feet on the earth, there’s lavender all around us, and red maples and Japanese maples. I feel right at home. After I get off the phone, I’ll probably run across this beautiful lawn and turn a cartwheel.” Talking to this vibrant woman onscreen, who has clearly learned to embrace life with joy and abandon, it is easy to picture her doing just that.

Many people may remember Marla Maples from her acting roles in the ’80s and ’90s ( Dallas , The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air , and Spin City , to name just a few TV appearances), or from her marriage to Donald Trump in the mid-1990s. But these days, Maples is more focused on simply living her best life—not necessarily onscreen or in gossip columns. Over the years, she has become a passionate advocate for mental, spiritual, and physical wellness, and a coveted public speaker who is unafraid to share her personal journey of inner peace in forums from the TED Talk stage to the Cambridge University student union.

Just a few days before this interview, Maples had spoken to a group of students at Cambridge, urging them to be freethinkers and also be open to the ideas and beliefs
of others. “We need to have open dialogue with this next generation,” she says. “I wanted to be able to share their hearts and see how they are coping and talk to them about the importance of individual thought over group thinking. We can have conversations with people who may be on the other side of politics or issues or social justice. You never want to divide yourself from anyone.”

It is a powerful message coming from a woman who has endured the sometimes harsh glare of life in the public eye. As she turns 61 this month, Maples readily admits that the mental, spiritual, and physical wellness she has achieved in her life today has only been built through a long journey—from a small town in Georgia to international (and not always welcome) fame.

Maples grew up in Cohutta, Georgia, a town with fewer than 1,000 residents. Her mother, Ann, was a homemaker and model; her father, Stanley, was a real estate developer, county commissioner, singer, and songwriter. “My father was the choir director of the church my grandparents helped build,” Maples says. “I come from a family of farmers and preachers, which is not so different from who I am at my core today.”

Just before our photo shoot for this feature, Maples’ father sadly passed away. She had been visiting with him in Tennessee when he had a heart attack. True to her nature, she shared the experience of his passing with her signature authenticity, posting photographs and videos of special moments with her dad to social media, hoping she might be able to help someone else through her loss.

“I want to help people deal better with life and death and the crisis that they may face around that,” says Maples. “I think if we can be examples of how to tap into the beauty of the entire life, we can make [death] more of an elevated celebration of life. To me, it’s not grief—it’s joy.”

After finishing high school, Maples left Georgia to pursue a career in acting and modeling. She had success, competing in pageants and acting in dozens of films, television shows, and Broadway productions. Then in 1993, she married Donald Trump, and suddenly everybody knew her name.

She gave birth to their daughter, Tiffany, and the family split their time between Palm Beach, New York, and Atlantic City until Maples and Trump divorced in 1999. In 2021, Maples settled in northern Palm Beach County full-time.

Tiffany is now 31 and also resides in the area with her husband, Michael Boulos, so Maples is able to continue a close relationship with her only child. “[Tiffany] was born in Palm Beach, so it’s interesting that our lives have brought us back to where we are now both back here,” says Maples. The mom-daughter duo get together often for tennis matches, yoga classes, kayaking, and travels. “I love to cook at home and have her and Michael over,” Maples adds.

An avid athlete as a child, Maples still loves sports and has recently taken up beach tennis. In May, she participated in a beach tennis event to benefit Love Serving Autism, a local charity that provides therapeutic racquet sports instruction to neurodivergent children and adults. She is a passionate advocate for many philanthropic causes, including Place of Hope, and supports educational, human rights, and women’s causes. “I believe in taking action for things that you believe in,” she says.

While she still takes on the occasional acting role (she played Gay Nancy on HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones starring John Goodman), Maples has been busy working on lots of other projects. Aside from public speaking, she is also a podcaster and a songwriter, and she is currently working with an editor on a possible book project.

Of course, her most important role in life has been being a mom, she says. But what about the future—what’s next for Marla Maples? “Who knows?” she replies with a laugh. “My goal is to be ready for whatever magic unveils itself. However I can give back, however I can share, I want to be prepared for that.”

Words of Wisdom

Marla reveals 8 big life lessons she has learned

Walk with joy. “We see so much suffering in the world, and it’s a time of great unknowns. But walking in the world with joy comes with a peace that can take you to a whole new place. So stop apologizing for being happy.”

Grow where you are planted. “When I go back home, I feel what my father and his father and the fathers before them stood for, and what they gave to create this beautiful country that we have. Regardless of where you came from, honor and nourish your unique roots.”

Share your highs and lows. “There are times when I’m going through something and I feel like if I can share how I work through it and come out of it, that can help another person.”

Be kind. “I wake up every morning and ask God how I can use my unique gifts in a way to help others. Simple acts of kindness can really change the heart of someone who is suffering, or even your own heart.”

Connect with nature. “Nature is everything. It is where we find strength. Hugging a tree, sitting on a rock, putting our feet on the earth… The simplest things can give you strength. If you just open your eyes, you can see so much. Always appreciate the simple beauty of nature.”

Know when to let go. “Life is a series of release and then rebuilding, releasing the old and then stepping into the new dreams. It’s important to look within yourself and see what is not serving you—and let go of it.”

Find the lesson. “Instead of saying, ‘Look what happened to me! This is awful,’ try saying, ‘How can I grow through this?’ Take a pause and don’t judge it as being bad. Instead, look at it as an opportunity and ask what you can learn from it.”

Look inward for love. “As humans, we have to keep that love even in difficult situations. When love is a deeper inner journey, we can continue to love even when things in the world make it harder.”

Story Credits:

Hair and makeup: Mario Osorno

Wardrobe (except denim jumpsuit): Ramona LaRue by Arianne

Hats: My Gypsy Child

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