Trump: The Drama Continues

It has been a New York soap opera for years. But now that billionaire developer Donald Trump is considering a runfor president, his marital woes have become a political soap opera, as well.

The drama started, reports CBS News Correspondent Jacqueline Adams, when Trump's most recent ex-wife, Marla Maples, told a London tabloid that she'll tell the world "what he is really like" if Trump seeks the White House.

"It is my duty as an American citizen to tell the people what he is really like," she declared. "His drug is attention. He's so ego-driven."

Trump responded with a threat - to withhold a $1.5 million alimony payment because Maples' prenuptial agreement apparently prevents her from speaking publicly about her marriage.

"We hope again, by this process, she would learn to abide by the agreement," his attorney, Jay Goldberg, said.

After a few hours in court, Trump sent the alimony and Maples' lawyers insisted the former Mrs. Trump is free to say whatever she likes. Analysts say, politically, the sniping is meaningless, but it does keep the Trump name in the headlines.

"She just wants her day in the sun," Trump said of his former wife.

But in this case, publicity matters to Trump as well. And Donald Trump has certainly been very good at getting publicity for himself.

"In this case, publicity matters," said political analyst Hank Sheinkopf. "Donald Trump has certainly been very good at getting publicity for himself.

"He is a major developer and someone who has done extraordinary things in his life," Sheinkopf added. And when you are that public, these kinds of things do come out. Electorally, it doesn't matter."

If Trump is serious about carrying the Reform Party's banner, he has a major decision coming up: Nov. 1 is the filing deadline for California's presidential primary, the earliest deadline in the nation.

Earlier Tuesday, Maples' attorney, William Beslow, said Trump's lawyers were simply trying to silence his client.

"One has to ask, 'Why now are Mr. Trump's representatives maligning Ms. Maples?' and the truth is clear," Beslow said. "They're hoping to discredit Ms. Maples...so that if she chooses to say anything in the future, Mr. Trump can shrug it off as the words of an angry person whose intelligence should be questioned."

Trump's lawyers called Maplea vengeful woman who wasn't smart enough for Trump and is exploiting her ties to him in hopes of gaining money and attention.

"The 15 minutes of glory ended when she left Donald's side," attorney Jay Goldberg said. "So this is a perfect way to attract publicity...All of her actions stand for the proposition 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.'"