Ever since former President Donald Trump entered the political scene ahead of the 2016 election, the media has frequently engaged in wild speculation about the status of the marriage between the businessman-turned-politician and his former supermodel wife-turned-first lady Melania.

Such speculation about the Trump marriage has run rampant again in light of Melania's notable absence during presumably important events for her husband, including his 77th birthday party in June, according to Inquisitr.

That also includes her not being present on the 2024 campaign trail in support of his 2024 re-election bid, not being by his side as he deals with multiple legal battles and reports that she renegotiated the terms of a prenuptial agreement earlier this year.

Not seen at Trump's birthday party

In June, the Daily Mail reported that while former President Trump was celebrating his 77th birthday at his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, former first lady Melania and the youngest Trump son, Barron, were spotted leaving Trump Tower in New York City with plenty of luggage in tow.

While it was acknowledged that Melania and Barron could have made the short trip from NYC to Bedminster in time to join the festivities, neither were spotted at the event, and reports indicated that they were instead headed to Europe for an extended summer vacation.

The outlet noted that separate and apart from the questions at that time about the whereabouts of his wife and son, Trump's birthday was not entirely "happy" as he had just been hit with what would turn out to be the second of four major criminal indictments at the federal and state levels.

A renegotiated prenuptial agreement

Those mounting legal woes are suspected to have been a substantial part of Melania's renegotiation of a prenuptial agreement with Donald, according to the New York Post's Page Six in September, which was allegedly the third such adjustment of the marriage's financial arrangement.

Protecting son Barron's financial future was said to have been the biggest factor in mind, given the possibility that Trump could face significant fines and court costs, to say nothing of his attorney fees, in his multitude of criminal cases and lawsuits, including even the potential loss of various assets and property by way of a civil fraud trial in New York.

One unnamed source downplayed rumors about a possible split of the former first couple and insisted that the new agreement, which reportedly includes money as well as properties, is intended to ensure that Barron eventually obtains a similar share of his father's wealth as his older siblings.

Yet, another source seemed to allude to the prospect of a divorce and said the renegotiated prenuptial was intended to "provide a more solid future" for both mother and son in such an eventuality, and told Page Six, "It’s not that she threatened to leave him," but added, "It’s definitely the underlying idea."

Melania not participating in re-election campaign

More fuel for the speculative fire surrounding the Trump marriage has been the former first lady's near-complete absence from anything having to do with the former president's run for a second term in the White House.

Business Insider reported in October on the level of campaign involvement of all of the immediate members and spouses of the Trump family and shared the anonymously sourced news that Melania had "repeatedly rejected" pleas from her husband to get more involved.

As of now, however, aside from being in attendance when Trump formally launched the campaign from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida immediately after the 2022 midterm elections, the former first lady has not been seen at any subsequent campaign events or rallies.

Trump himself was asked about that during a September interview with NBC News and suggested that she would eventually join him "when it's appropriate, but pretty soon." He went on to assert of Melania, "She's a private person, a great person, a very confident person, and she loves our country very much. And honestly, I like to keep her away from it. It's so nasty and so mean."