Former President Donald Trump acknowledged his awareness of his son Donald Trump Jr.'s extramarital affair with singer Aubrey O'Day. This admission, made during an interview with Ramin Setoodeh, author of the book Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass, sheds new light on a scandal that has long intrigued the public.
"When I asked Trump about O'Day's affair with Don Jr., he took a long pause. 'I had heard that, actually,' he said, blinking. 'No, I had heard that.' Did he know that O'Day had written a song about Don Jr.? 'I hadn't heard the song. But I had heard that,' Trump said, confirming once again that he was aware of the story about Don Jr. sleeping with one of the contestants on The Celebrity Apprentice," reads an excerpt from the book.
The affair, which reportedly began during the filming of The Celebrity Apprentice, caused significant tension within the Trump family. Donald Trump Jr. was married to Vanessa Trump at the time, making the affair particularly controversial. Sources close to the family reveal that the former president was "pissed" upon discovering the relationship.
Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, provided further context during an episode of his podcast Mea Culpa. Cohen recalled the intense fallout from the affair, sharing how he had to intervene on behalf of the elder Trump. "Your father is really f****** pissed," Cohen told Donald Jr. "This is way beyond even what I am supposed to be doing. I sat down with Don, and I said, 'I understand the attraction [to O'Day], but it's got to stop and you have to figure out how to make this right with [wife] Vanessa.'"
Cohen described the fraught conversation with Donald Jr., who felt unfairly singled out compared to his siblings. "He goes, 'I am always held to a different standard. Eric [Trump] had sex with some Miss Universe contestant on Celebrity Apprentice - on the table, and Ivanka [Trump] has her own issues regarding sexuality,'" Cohen recounted. Despite Donald Jr.'s grievances, Cohen emphasized the seriousness of the situation. "Your dad is f****** serious. You won't even have the ability to get into the building and pack your s*** up. You better start thinking twice."
The scandal, which has resurfaced with Setoodeh's new book, adds another layer to the complex dynamics of the Trump family. The affair between Donald Jr. and O'Day, a former member of the girl group Danity Kane, allegedly began in 2011 and continued until Vanessa Trump discovered suggestive emails between the two in 2012. The revelation led to a temporary separation between Donald Jr. and Vanessa, though they ultimately reconciled for a time before filing for divorce in 2018.
This disclosure comes at a time when the Trump family is under intense scrutiny, both politically and personally. Donald Trump's acknowledgment of the affair and the internal family strife it caused highlights the personal challenges that have paralleled their public lives.
Setoodeh's Apprentice in Wonderland delves into the intersection of reality television and politics, exploring how The Celebrity Apprentice influenced Donald Trump's rise to the presidency. The book provides a behind-the-scenes look at the former president's interactions with contestants and producers, painting a detailed picture of his persona both on and off the screen.