Born in Cohutta, Georgia (population 661), Marla Maples got her start as an overachieving student, athlete, and homecoming queen who attended the University of Georgia before heading to New York City to pursue a career in the arts. With more than 15 films roles (Happiness, Black and White, Executive Decision), numerous TV appearances (Liv and Maddie, Spin City, The Nanny), Broadway shows (The Will Rogers Follies, Love, Loss and What I Wore), and dozens of magazine covers on her resume, Maples firmly secured her place in popular culture.
In 1999, she relocated to Southern California with daughter Tiffany Trump in tow to focus on finding a quieter, more spiritual existence. The longtime spiritual seeker released her first album, The Endless featuring Deepak Chopra, His Holiness the Dalai Lama & Michael Bernard Beckwith, and hosted a talk radio show, Awakening With Marla with specialists from the natural wellness world. With Tiffany having grown up and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016, Marla made her triumphant return to the spotlight, tangoing her way through Season 22 of Dancing With the Stars, co-hosting The View, The Doctors, and Good Day New York, and recently performing on Ballando Con Le Steele in Rome, Italy where the show received it’s highest ratings to date.
Marla is happily a New Yorker again where she continues to act, write, and host, while sharing her love of helping others create a healthy and joyful life.
The philanthropist, who herself suffered from Lyme disease as a teen, was honored for her work with the Global Lyme Alliance, and remains committed to supporting a multitude of non-profit organizations including AWARENYC.org, Spirituality for Kids, The Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine, The City of Hope, and Kids Creating Peace. Whether speaking about unity at the UN or performing her single “One World of Love” on stage at Carnegie Hall, the actress, musical artist, and philanthropist is steadfast in her mission to expand the greater good and add light to the world.