In the world of professional golf and celebrity environment, few stories have caught the public’s eye like the romance between Tiger Woods and Vanessa Trump. Since going public in March 2025, the couple has become a constant fixture at elite events, like the past celebration of Woods’ 50th birthday in January 2026.
However, behind the red carpets and golf courses, Vanessa is currently navigating apersonal transition. As her eldest daughter, Kai Trump, prepares to head to the University of Miami in the fall of 2026, Vanessa sat down and gave an honest reflection on her own past, specifically about the modeling career she walked away from to become a full-time mother.
Choosing motherhood over her career
In a recent appearance on Kai’s YouTube channel, in a segment titled ‘My mom answers your questions!’, Vanessa opened up about the sacrifice many mothers, including herself, recognize but few discuss with such honesty.
“One thing I did do for my kids is I put my career aside. I was doing modeling and acting, and I was also going to night school until I had Donnie and became a psychologist
While she admitted that there was nothing she wanted more than to give everything to dedicate full-time to her children, she offered another side of her own personal growth that would have been different if given another chance:
“If I had to go back and change it, I think I would have continued my career and my education. I think that I would have finished even if it had taken me 10 years to take a class here and there. I think I would have finished my child psychology degree
To finish her thoughts, she explained what she says to every person dealing with the pressures she had to deal with at the time. Her advice is simple and short: Get your life together first before taking any roads.
“So I always say to everyone, what you should do is get your education, get a great stable job first, and then date after that, and then have a family. Once you’re already established, you know what you want to do in life. Because when you’re young in your early 20s, you don’t know
Reflecting on the runways
Long before she was a visible figure in the Trump family or the partner of a golf legend, Vanessa was a prominent star in the fashion industry. Signed to the prestigious Wilhelmina Models during her teens and 20s, her resume speaks for itself.
She walked the luxurious runways of Australian Fashion Week in 1998 and was the face of glossy pages of Vogue and Elle. As her mother ran Kay Models, Vanessa was born into the industry, becoming used to the lights and the flashes from a very young age.
Her talents were not limited to the lens, though. In 2003, she stepped onto the silver screen with a role in the romantic comedy Something’s Gotta Give, sharing scenes with legends like Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton. But by May 2007, the birth of Kai changed the trajectory of her life forever.
“Because nothing more that I would have wanted to change in my life was giving up everything for you guys. I’m very happy I did that. But if I had to go back and change it, I think I would have continued my career and my education
Vanessa’s reflections come at a key moment. Her daughter, Kai Trump, an elite golfer who signed with the University of Miami in November 2025, is entering the industry in a way her mother never could have imagined, with NIL deals already worth over $1 million.
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