Big week for Vanessa Trump: daughter Kai turns 18, daughter of boyfriend Tiger Woods graduates

Yahoo

12-05-2025

It's a busy week for Vanessa Trump.
Fresh from Mother's Day, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr., with whom she has five children — Kai Madison Trump, Donald Trump III, Spencer Trump, Tristan Trump and Chloe Trump — has a birthday in the family and high school graduation for the daughter of her famous boyfriend, Tiger Woods.
Here's what we know about Vanessa Trump, her relationship with Tiger Woods and his children, and a little bit about her firstborn daughter, Kai Trump, whose 18th birthday is today, Monday, May 12, 2025.
On Nov. 12, 2005, Donald Trump Jr. married former model Vanessa Kay Trump, formerly Vanessa Kay Pergolizzi. Donald Trump introduced Donald Trump Jr. to Vanessa at a fashion show in 2003.
The couple married at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in front of about 370 guests, with the service officiated by Donald Trump's sister, Judge Maryanne Trump Barry.
Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump were 27 years old when they wed, weeks before they both turned 28, in December 2005. Donald Trump Jr.'s siblings were in the wedding party: Ivanka Trump was a bridesmaid and Eric Trump was a groomsman.
Vanessa and Donald Trump Jr. had five children together − Kai Trump, Donald Trump III, Tristan Trump, Spencer Trump and Chloe Trump − before they eventually divorced, after 12 years of marriage, in 2018.
In 2018, Donald Trump Jr. began dating former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle. When the couple split in 2024, he began dating Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson.
Though they are divorced, Donald Trump Jr. and ex-wife, Vanessa Trump, seem to have an amicable relationship — his posts on social media often include their children, and, occasionally, family pictures with the rest of the Trump clan include Vanessa Trump.
Vanessa Trump had even attended high-profile events to support her former father-in-law such as Election Night and Inauguration Day, alongside her former husband and his ex-girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle and current girlfriend Bettina Anderson.
Tiger Woods, Vanessa Trump: 'Instagram official' 6 weeks after Trump Jr., Bettina Anderson
Tiger Woods is a legend — a GOAT, a pop culture phenomenon and a celebrity beyond golf. He has two children with his ex-wife, former model Elin Nordegren, daughter Sam Woods and son Charlie Woods.
In March, news reports suggested Tiger Woods was dating Vanessa Trump, which makes a lot of sense. Their kids attend the same school, and Kai and Charlie play golf alongside each other on The Benjamin School's boys and girls golf teams.
In a Sunday, March 23, 2025, Instagram post, Tiger Woods confirmed their relationship via social media — a phenomenon known as 'Instagram official.'
The pro golfer, who has 3.6 million followers, shared photos of his new girlfriend Vanessa Trump with the caption: 'Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together. At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts.'
Three hours after posting, the Tiger Woods update had more than 207,000 likes and over 5,000 comments.
On Feb. 3, 2025, more than a month before Tiger and Vanessa officially announced their relationship, Kai, who has more than 1.6 million followers on Instagram and a big following for her YouTube vlogs, posted about Tiger Woods' new golf course.
Kai Trump regularly posts about her golf career, with reposts and regrams by her famous parents. But in this particular Instagram photo/video album post, there's a photo of Kai Trump with her mom Vanessa Trump and a short clip at the end of Tiger Woods — the caption says: 'What my weekends have been looking like!' Many took it as a hint that the pro golfer and Donald Trump Jr.'s ex-wife were in a relationship, which the couple confirmed mid-March.
Kai Trump is the oldest of President Donald Trump's 10 grandchildren − soon to be 11, though, with a pregnant Tiffany Trump expecting "any day now" − and the oldest child of Donald Trump Jr.'s five children. Today, Monday, May 12, 2025, she celebrates her 18th birthday.
And Kai Trump shares her grandfather's love of golf. She plays competitively with The Benjamin School's girls' team and in August 2024, announced her commitment to stay in Florida for college and play golf at the University of Miami after she graduates in class of 2026.
'I am beyond excited to announce my verbal commitment to the University of Miami,' Kai wrote in an August 18, 2024, Instagram post. 'I would like to thank my mom, Vanessa, and my dad, Don, for always supporting me through my journey. I would also like to thank my great team for getting me to this point. I would like to thank my grandpa for giving me access to great courses and tremendous support… I am super excited to be a cane and represent the University of Miami. Gooo Canes!'
In February 2025, Kai Trump became the highest-valued player in girls' high school golf, after announcing her first lucrative endorsement deal with big-name golf equipment company TaylorMade.
The exact terms of Kai Trump's deal with TaylorMade were not disclosed, but there is some information about her name, image and likeness valuation. She also has another NIL endorsement, in addition to the February golf equipment deal that propelled her valuation to more than $1 million.
"Golf has always been a massive part of my life and is my biggest passion. I always aspire to be a leader and a positive figure on and off the golf course," Kai Trump's SportsRecruits biography says. Kai Trump will graduate from The Benjamin School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, in 2026.
What is NIL? Here's why the president's granddaughter Kai Trump is worth around $1 million
Sam Woods was born on June 18, 2007, to golf legend Tiger Woods and former model Elin Nordegren. She's a senior at the Benjamin School in Palm Beach County, Florida, and will graduate May 15, 2025.
In news interviews, she's mentioned avoiding a professional career in golf because as a child, the tournaments meant long absences away from her father. Her choice sport has been soccer and she plays on The Benjamin School's girls' soccer team. She also runs track, and recently helped The Benjamin School's girls track and field team win the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 1A girls track and field team championship on Saturday, May 10.
Sam Woods participated in four events for Benjamin at the University of North Florida's Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, helping her school place second and fourth place in relays, worth 13 points.
Her brother, Charlie Axel Woods, also attends and plays golf at the Benjamin School. Born Feb. 8, 2009, in Florida, Charlie Woods helped his varsity golf team win a state title when he was a freshman.
Sam Woods, daughter of the GOAT (greatest of all time) in golf Tiger Woods, has plans to follow in her father's footsteps and attend Stanford University after graduation. According to reports, Sam Woods is attending the university with her focus on academics instead of athletics, with an interest in pursuing psychology or biology.
"This season is definitely bittersweet because I've been playing with these girls since forever," she told the Palm Beach Post about her senior soccer season earlier this year. "It's going to be really hard hanging up my cleats for the last time."
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Vanessa Trump and Tiger Woods: Busy week ahead with birthday, graduation