Let’s be honest: not every family is one big happy group chat, even when your last name is Trump. Of Donald Trump’s five kids, Tiffany has always been the quiet one—the one who grew up a little separate from the Mar-a-Lago spotlight that shines so brightly on Don Jr., Eric, and Ivanka.
Now 31, Tiffany is about to become a mom herself. She and her husband, Michael Boulos, are expecting a baby boy any day now, and a few weeks ago she threw a beautiful baby shower. Ivanka was there, gushing on Instagram about how Tiff is “going to be the most wonderful mama.” Friends posted sweet photos. Everyone looked thrilled.
📷 Instagram / @tiffanytrump
Everyone except one very noticeable absence: Melania Trump.
It’s not exactly a secret that Tiffany’s childhood was… complicated. Born in 1993 to Donald and Marla Maples right in the middle of the messiest, most tabloid-covered divorce of the ’90s, Tiffany spent her early years in New York, then moved to Calabasas with her mom after the split. Marla basically raised her as a single mom while Donald was off building towers and, eventually, running the country.
Growing up, Tiffany saw her half-siblings on holidays and big events, but day-to-day life was different. Donald himself has never been shy about ranking his kids in terms of how “involved” they are in the family business. There’s that infamous 2016 election-night quote where he said he was “very proud” of Don, Eric, Ivanka, and then added, “…and, you know, to a lesser extent Tiffany, because she just got out of school.”
Ouch.
People who know the family say the distance only grew once Donald moved into the White House. There were reportedly months when he and Tiffany didn’t speak at all. Awkward family gatherings became even more awkward.
As for Melania? She’s always seemed to have a decent relationship with Tiffany—certainly warmer than the rumored frostiness with Ivanka. There are cute photos of the two of them together at the U.S. Open when Tiffany was little, and Melania has never publicly said a bad word about her.
So why skip the baby shower of your stepdaughter who’s about to give you your newest grandchild?
A source close to the family told People there simply “wasn’t any reason” for Melania (or Donald) to be there. Apparently Melania spent that weekend in New York with Barron, who’s now studying at NYU. The insider stressed that Melania keeps her own schedule—even on weekends—and the shower was more of a girlfriends-and-Ivanka affair.
It’s probably that simple, but it still feels a little chilly, doesn’t it? Especially when you see Ivanka hugging Tiffany and cooing over the blue balloons.
At the end of the day, the Trumps have never pretended to be a normal family. They’re a collection of very different people tied together by one very famous (and very complicated) man. Some relationships are close, some are cordial, and some are just… distant.
Tiffany seems genuinely happy these days—married, about to be a mom, living her life on her own terms. Maybe that’s all that matters.
