Body Language Expert: Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa
Body language can reveal many truths about relationships - but only if you know how to read it. In Celebrity Couples: Decoded, an expert interprets A-listers' interactions to shed light on their IRL dynamic.
Donald Trump Jr.'s wife, Vanessa Trump (formerly Vanessa Haydon), filed for divorce on Thursday after rumors circulated about their marital issues. "The problems have been there for a long time, the couple had hoped to stay together during the president’s time in office, but it is getting harder to resolve their issues," an anonymous source told Page Six. "He’s never there."
Engaged in 2004 and married in November 2005, the couple has five children born between 2007 and 2014. On Thursday, they released a joint statement: "After 12 years of marriage, we have decided to go our separate ways. We will always have tremendous respect for each other and our families. We have five beautiful children together and they remain our top priority. We ask for your privacy during this time."
Here, Blanca Cobb, a North Carolina-based body-language expert looks for signs their relationship was on the fringe by assessing photos of the duo over the years:
The couple kisses in February 2004.
"This looks like a great kiss," Cobb says of the way their eyes are closed with lips parted, which is more intimate and passionate than a closed-mouth peck. "He doesn't seem to be leaning forward or tilting his head toward hers, but she definitely is into that kiss and pulling him close."
Aside from Donald's posture, both parties look equally into each other, according to Cobb.
They pose for engagement photos in November 2004.
"I get it, they want to show the world the ring," Cobb says of the posed photo. "But that's not a natural way to hold someone's hand."
As opposed to standing face-to-face, the couple stands back-to-chest, which is surprisingly formal and stoic in the context of their engagement, according to Cobb. "He's pulling her close to maintain a connection and send the message, 'We're one,' but she seems happier than he does since her smile is bigger than his," she says.
Vanessa sticks her hand in her pocket in September 2006.
Here, Vanessa and Don stand head-to-head, chest-to-chest, and pleasure zone-to-pleasure-zone, Cobb notes, noticing the couple's mismatched expressions. "They both smile politely, but her smile is wider than his, and there's no crinkling at the corners of his eyes or raised cheek muscles," Cobb says. "It could mean she's happier about being in this relationship at this time, which could be a temporary or chronic state," Cobb says. "But it could also just reflect mismatched comfort levels in front of a camera."
Interestingly, Vanessa sticks her entire hand in her pocket, something people do when they're uncomfortable or something doesn't feel right, according to Cobb, who sees conflict in the couple's stance: "Both of her feet are pointing toward him, as you'd expect, but his left foot is pointing outward, which could mean he's not totally engaged with her."
They kiss in December 2006.
Here, Vanessa slips a hand into Donald's jacket, pulling him close as she leans in. "You move toward people you like, love, and want to be around, but it looks like she's the one who's initiating," Cobb says, citing Donald's stiff posture and tension in his eyelids, which make it look like he's bracing himself for the kiss. "It looks like he didn't want to participate, but I don't know why. It could be because of the camera, which can impose on intimacy in a personal moment."
Vanessa leans into Donald's touch in January 2007.
Here, Donald wraps one arm around his wife's waist and plants a hand on her baby belly. "You touch what's important to you," Cobb says. "He could have let his arm dangle on one side, but he chose to hold her."
Although Vanessa leans into her husband with a genuine, happy smile marked by raised cheeks and squinting eyes, Cobb's not convinced Donald is on the same page: "Pregnancy is a happy time, whether you want to be photographed or not," Cobb says. "She's radiating happiness, but his smile looks polite - it's not true happiness - and his eyes look unfocused. He's not looking at her."
Vanessa touches Donald's leg at a 2007 party.
"He's letting everything hang out," Cobb says of Donald's wide-legged position, which "lets his package show." With his unbuttoned shirt, he appears to radiate confidence and masculinity, she determines. Meanwhile, Vanessa leans in while touching Donald's thigh with a flat palm - a sign you're really into a person - but crosses her right leg away from her husband, creating a physical body block. "These are mixed signals," Cobb says, noting the tension in Donald's lip and the way he tosses an arm around Vanessa, but leaves his fingers bent rather than maximizing skin-to-skin contact with his wife. "He very well could be more into himself than her at that moment, and she looks happier than him," Cobb says.
Donald goes in for the belly in May 2012.
Here, Vanessa crosses her left foot over her right - right into Donald's personal space, according to Cobb. "You do that when you feel close and connected to someone," she says. Although Vanessa appears to be leaning away from Donald, Cobb calls this a balancing act - after all, she's a pregnant woman in heels. Vanessa also holds her purse with a power clutch that signifies confidence, since the grip is sturdier than daintily holding a bag from above, according to Cobb. Now take a look at Donald: "He's not elated, but still touching what's important to him," Cobb says. Although Donald's left hand can't be seen, and it's unclear whether it's planted on his wife's back, this would be a sign of support.
Vanessa poses with her toes pointing away in April 2015.
It's clear that stoic smiles are part of Donald's baseline, meaning they don't necessarily reflect his emotional state, according to Cobb. Still, Vanessa looks happy enough, and a mismatch in facial expressions suggest a couple is out of sync, Cobb says, noting the subtle but sizable gap between their bodies. "They don't seem to be as tight as they were in earlier years," Cobb says.
Vanessa reaches out to Donald in September 2015.
See how Vanessa, who stands behind Donald, slips a hand around her husband's side? "When you're uncomfortable, you reach out to the person you're closest to, even if there's turbulence or signs of problems in your relationship," Cobb says. "She's using him as support and for reassurance."
Still, she notes there's tension in Vanessa's fingers. "It's typically due to anxiety," Cobb says, who can't speculate on the trigger.
Vanessa hangs onto Donald in May 2016.
"She's not part of the conversation here, but she's still holding on for support or to maintain connectedness," Cobb says, noting that things would be different - and more alarming- if she were physically disconnected, a sign of disengagement. "When you're married to someone for 12 years, sometimes you're just there with your spouse, on the periphery," Cobb says.
Vanessa and Donald hold hands in January 2017.
Here, the couple walks with fingers intertwined - a sign of interconnectedness, Cobb says, even though Donald's fingers seem straight rather than curved to cover more surface area of his wife's hand. Although leading with the same leg as another person suggests you share a strong bond, according to Cobb, Vanessa and Donald lead with opposite legs here. Nonetheless, the timing of their stride is in sync, so she thinks this may just be an off moment for the couple.
The Bottom Line
"There's nothing so outrageous in their body language that would make me think, I knew a divorce was coming, for sure!" Cobb says. "But there are enough subtleties and discrepancy in terms of facial mismatch, and Vanessa leaning into Donald more than he leans into her, that I'm not exactly shocked."
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