Vanessa Trump Has the Support of Ex Don Jr.'s Circle as She Faces Cancer: 'She'll Always Be Family to Them' (Exclusive Sources)
Vanessa Trump Has the Support of Ex Don Jr.'s Circle as She Faces Cancer: 'She'll Always Be Family to Them' (Exclusive Sources)
Meredith Kile, Linda MarxThu, May 21, 2026 at 9:11 PM UTC
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Vanessa Trump and daughter Kai attend a golf match at Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on March 3, 2026
Credit: Cliff Hawkins/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty
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Vanessa Trump announced on May 20 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer
Insiders tell PEOPLE that while she navigates treatment, she will have the full support of ex-husband Donald Trump Jr.'s powerful political family
Vanessa, 48, shares five children with Don Jr. and is currently dating pro golfer Tiger Woods
Donald Trump Jr.'s ex-wife, Vanessa Trump, has no shortage of support from her powerful former family amid her newly revealed breast cancer diagnosis.
“The Trumps really like Vanessa, and she will always be family to them,” a former Trump administration official tells PEOPLE, adding that they believe President Donald Trump will treat Vanessa like others in his inner circle while she navigates treatment.
“With her close family, including support from all of the Trumps, Vanessa will handle whatever is involved with her recovery and future with the disease,” another source in Jupiter, Fla., says.
Vanessa, 48, shared a "personal health update" in a social media post on May 20, revealing that she'd undergone a "procedure" related to breast cancer earlier in the week.
"While this isn't news anyone expects, I'm working closely with my medical team on a treatment plan," she wrote. "I am staying focused and hopeful while surrounded by the love and support of my family, my kids, and those closest to me."
Vanessa shares five children with her ex Don Jr.: Kai, 19; Donald III, 17; Tristan, 14; Spencer, 13; and Chloe, 11.
"Thank you for your kindness and support it truly means more than I can express. I kindly ask for privacy as I focus on my health and recovery," she concluded.
Ivanka Trump and Vanessa Trump at the Republican National Convention on July 19, 2016
Credit: Jeff Swensen/Getty
Vanessa's announcement came just days after her boyfriend, golf legend Tiger Woods, returned home to Florida following a six-week stint out of the country to seek treatment after his car crash and DUI charge in March.
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“She is usually an optimist in her own life and always encouraging to others around her with their problems, including how helpful she was been with her boyfriend Tiger," the Jupiter source says of Vanessa.
An additional insider in their Florida town tells PEOPLE, “Tiger and Vanessa have supported each other in every endeavor, and I don’t see that changing in coming days,” even as Woods faces his own challenges stemming from the DUI case.
“No matter how well put together and organized she has been as a mom, former wife, and girlfriend, the demands and stresses of life today take a toll," that source adds, noting that she at least has "the right attitude" to get through a difficult time.
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Vanessa has stayed in Don Jr.'s orbit since their 2018 divorce, appearing with her ex-husband just days ago for their oldest daughter Kai's high school graduation celebration.
An insider told PEOPLE earlier this year that Don Jr. has overall been supportive of Vanessa's relationship with Tiger and that they're "a team when it comes to coparenting."
Don Jr. is engaged to Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson, with a recent Page Six report suggesting that they're planning an intimate wedding in the Bahamas over Memorial Day weekend. It's unclear whether Vanessa plans to attend the ceremony.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
