What to Know
Bettina Anderson’s bridal shower did nothing to quell the rumors that there’s tension between Melania Trump and her stepchildren. When Melania celebrated the release of her documentary, Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump, and Ivanka Trump did not attend the premiere (and there were even rumors that Ivanka was purposely excluded from the movie). Then, when Barron Trump celebrated his 20th birthday, his older siblings were reportedly not invited to the party.
And it’s starting to seem less and less like a coincidence now that Melania was noticeably absent from the lavish bridal shower on Sunday, April 12.
Bettina was celebrating her upcoming wedding to Donald Trump Jr.
She had her bridal shower at Mar-a-Lago. The venue was decorated with lots of flowers, and guests received gift bags full of luxury products, according to a report from People. “The shower was gorgeous,” an insider told the publication. “The event was held mostly inside and was lovely but there were guests hanging outside some of the time.”
Melania’s absence was made even more apparent because of some of the people who did show up for the special occasion. Unsurprisingly, Ivanka and Tiffany attended the event—but so did Tiffany’s mom, Marla Maples (who is also President Donald Trump’s second ex-wife).
Melania’s reason for missing the shower is unclear. And of course, skipping a party is even more awkward when it’s hosted at your home—or, one of them, at least. In her documentary, Melania said, “Mar-a-Lago is more than a home” and described it as her “refuge from the outside world.” Apparently, that doesn’t necessarily mean she wants to attend a bridal shower there.
Don Jr. and his fiancée posed for a photo with the president’s ex-wife instead.
Marla even posted about the soirée on Instagram, sharing a photo that showed her and her daughter, Tiffany, with the future bride. She captioned the post with, “Last Sunday was such a beautiful day celebrating Bettina’s bridal shower. 💍 Sharing this special moment with my daughter Tiffany made it even more meaningful. What a gift to celebrate love, friendship, and family .. these are the moments we cherish forever. 💕 Congratulations to Don Jr. and Bettina… we are so blessed to share in your joy!”
Per the Daily Beast, Don Jr. also stopped by the party and posed for photos alongside Bettina, Marla, Tiffany, and Mackenzie Moon Phelan, the daughter of Secretary of the Navy John Phelan.
Melania didn’t post anything about the occasion and did not appear to be active on social media over the weekend. Maybe she was just busy?
Perhaps there are no hard feelings.
After all, though most of the president’s children skipped Melania’s movie premiere, Don Jr. and Bettina actually were in attendance. But Melania’s absence has certainly raised questions, especially because she did not attend the baby shower Ivanka threw for Tiffany in April 2025, either.
Rumors about Melania’s strained relationships with her stepchildren have been circulating for some time. But based on her tendency to not show up for important family events, she doesn’t seem overly concerned about putting them to rest.
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