Vanessa Trump, the girlfriend of golfer Tiger Woods and Donald Trump’s former daughter-in-law, has been diagnosed with breast cancer, she revealed on Wednesday.
Ms Trump, 48, said on her Instagram page that she had undergone a “medical procedure” earlier this week and remained “focused and hopeful”.
“I’ve recently been diagnosed with breast cancer,” she wrote. “While this isn’t news anyone expects, I’m working closely with my medical team on a treatment plan.
“I would like to thank my doctors for performing a procedure earlier this week on me.”
Ivanka Trump, the US president’s eldest daughter, responded to the social media post: “Praying for your continued strength and a swift recovery. Love you mama.”
Ms Trump, a model, was married to Donald Trump Jr for 13 years before their split in 2018.
Vanessa Trump was married to Donald Trump Jr for 13 years before their split in 2018 – Reuters
The couple share custody of Donald III, Tristan, Spencer, Chloe, and Kai – the most famous of the US president’s grandchildren – who at age 19 is building her brand as a promising golfer and social media influencer.
Ms Trump has been dating Woods, 50, since 2024, and the couple confirmed on Instagram last year that “love is in the air” for them.
“Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side,” Woods wrote in March last year alongside a photograph of the couple snuggling on a hammock.
“We look forward to our journey through life together.”
While his girlfriend battles cancer, Woods has been facing his own challenges after being forced into a rehabilitation programme as a result of crashing his Range Rover while allegedly driving under the influence of drugs.
Woods was arrested at the scene of the rollover, his fourth road crash, and was overheard phoning the US president before police took him into custody.
Credit: Courtesy of Martin County Sheriff’s Office via Reuters
A breath test showed he did not have alcohol in his system, but police suspected drug use after he refused a urine test, according to court documents.
He pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence and told police that prior to the crash he had taken medications including ibuprofen, Vicodin and another for high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Woods later released a statement saying he was taking a break from professional golf to focus on dealing with his dependency on painkilling medication.
Ms Trump has been “eager to help him continue with his progress and move beyond any more public scandals”, a source told Page Six.
Woods spent weeks in a rehabilitation centre in Switzerland but left the programme early, returning to Florida this week to be with Ms Trump and her children.
He was pictured earlier on Wednesday attending Kai Trump’s high school graduation. The teenager shares her love of golf with Woods and with her grandfather, the president, and has been accepted on a sports scholarship to the University of Miami.
Kai Trump shares her love of golf with Tiger Woods and her grandfather, Donald Trump – Julio Aguilar
Kai Trump told her mother after her diagnosis that she was the “strongest person ever”, in a social media post responding to Ms Trump.
Ms Trump did not mention Woods in her Instagram announcement, but said she was “surrounded” by love from “those closest to me”.
“I am staying focused and hopeful while surrounded by the love and support of my family, my kids, and those closest to me,” she wrote.
“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.”