Vanessa Trump reportedly had a passionate romance with a Saudi prince before her marriage to Donald Trump Jr., with the two even planning to get married.
Trump dated Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud from the late 1990s until the terrorist attacks on Sep. 11, 2001, according to a new report by Page Six. Sources close to the newly divorced Trump say that she and the prince were deeply in love.
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“They dated from 1998 to 2001 and lived together,” an insider confirmed. “He ditched her on 9/11; days after, he flew back to Saudi Arabia. They were planning to marry [at the time]. They were inseparable.”
Prince Khalid’s family was remarkably close to many U.S. politicians. His father, Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, was Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.S. from 1983 to 2005. His relationship with the Bush family was so close that he was reportedly nicknamed “Bandar Bush.”
However, the 9/11 attacks changed his relationship with many U.S. officials. Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud was suspected of indirect ties to al Qaeda and even association with the hijackers themselves, though no evidence was ever uncovered to show that he intentionally supported the attacks.
“Saudi Arabia has nothing to hide,” he said at the time, insisting that 9/11 was “the worst thing to happen to us.”
The ambassador’s son, Prince Khalid, gave up what was reportedly a loving relationship after the attack. Sources close to Trump said that the romance was the exact opposite of her marriage to Trump Jr., who they said treated her like a “second-class citizen.”
“Bandar treated her as if she was his queen. It was the complete opposite from Don Jr. They were together 24/7. They were a real couple,” the source said.
Prince Khalid is an Oxford graduate. He is now married to British aristocrat Lucy Caroline Cuthbert, niece of the Duke of Northumberland. Since last year, he has been serving as the Saudi ambassador to Germany.
Another insider refuted these claims, downplaying the relationship altogether.
“They dated in her early 20s. They never lived together and were not planning to get married,” they said.
The short-lived love affair was also different from Trump’s recently revealed fling with Valentin Rivera, a member of the Latin Kings. The gang member exchanged love letters with Trump while he was in prison, where she wrote that she wanted to have children with him.
Trump’s love life is at a standstill as she proceeds with her divorce from Trump Jr., while he himself is reportedly dating Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle.