Melania Trump ‘quietly’ renegotiates prenup agreement amid husband’s 2024 run and growing legal troubles
As former president Donald Trump vies for another term in the White House and faces a series of potentially major legal and financial setbacks , his third wife Melania Trump has reportedly been “quietly” renegotiating her prenuptial agreement.
A source told Page Six in late September 2023: “Over the last year, Melania and her team have been quietly negotiating a new ‘postnup’ agreement between herself and Donald Trump.
“This is at least the third time Melania has renegotiated the terms of her marital agreement,” the source added, stressing that, to their knowledge, Ms Trump has no present intention of ending her marriage.
Mr Trump, 77, and Ms Trump, 53, have been married since 2005 and have one son together, 17-year-old Barron Trump, while the former has four more children from his previous two marriages.
“Melania is most concerned about maintaining and increasing a substantial trust for their son”, the insider told Page Six.
This new agreement centres around both money and property, the source claimed, adding that the new arrangement was prompted by Mr Trump’s 2024 run, as well as his recent legal difficulties.
“This agreement was necessary because of the current legal battles… [Donald] has suffered,” the source explained.
That same, Mr Trump and his adult sons were found liable for fraud following a years-long probe from New York attorney general Letitia James. Her civil suit is seeking $250m in damages and a verdict is due to be returned in January 2024.
On top of this, Mr Trump owes former Elle columnist E Jean Carroll $5m in damages after he was found liable in May for sexually assaulting her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s.
The source told Page Six: “Trump remains very rich, but with mounting legal bills and judgements,” adding that the renegotiated prenup agreement would “provide a more solid future” for Melania and Barron if they divorced.
“It’s not that she threatened to leave him,” the source clarified. “It’s definitely the underlying idea.”
Another source told the outlet: “I know that she wanted it to provide her with more money, and also — from what I understand — there’s a specific amount at minimum that Barron is supposed to obtain.”
The report comes at a time when Mr Trump’s wife has been notably absent from his court appearances and the campaign trail.
A banner asking “Where’s Melania?” was flown across Iowa during one visit to the Midwest to taunt the candidate as he watched a football game. Mocked-up “missing” posters of the former first lady were also posted.
Mr Trump said in response to that pressure that his wife will join him on the campaign trail “pretty soon” but did not provide further details and it has yet to take place.