The real-life Wolf of Wall Street’s ex-wife has revealed the two qualities that make women ‘the perfect prey’ for narcissists – and shared the steps she took to find happiness again after splitting from financial crook Jordan Belfort.
Nadine Macaluso, 56, who now works as a marriage counselor and family therapist in Florida, met Jordan, 61, when she was just 22 years old and working as a model.
The two soon became engulfed in a whirlwind romance, tying the knot in 1991 and welcoming two children together – before they ultimately divorced in 2005 after 14 years of marriage.
After they went their separate ways, Nadine accused the broker of physical and mental abuse, which she said was fueled by his rampant drug addiction and multiple infidelities.
The real-life Wolf of Wall Street’s ex-wife has revealed the two qualities that make women ‘the perfect prey’ for narcissists – and shared the steps she took to find happiness again
Nadine Macaluso, 56, who now works as a marriage counselor and family therapist in Florida, met Jordan Belfort, 61, when she was just 22 years old and working as a model
The two soon became engulfed in a whirlwind romance, tying the knot in 1991 and welcoming two children together, before they ultimately divorced in 2005 after 14 years of marriage
Their relationship was portrayed in the 2013 flick Wolf of Wall Street, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan and Margot Robbie as Nadine, who was renamed Naomi for the movie
Nadine and Jordan’s relationship – as well as Jordan’s illicit stock market scheme, which saw him steal nearly $200 million from investors – was portrayed in the wildly popular 2013 flick Wolf of Wall Street, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan and Margot Robbie as Nadine, who was renamed Naomi for the movie.
Now, the model-turned-therapist has spoken exclusively to DailyMail.com about the characteristics that she believes narcissists gravitate towards most.
After they went their separate ways, Nadine accused the broker of physical and mental abuse, which she said was fueled by his rampant drug addiction and multiple infidelities. They’re seen at their wedding
She explained that there’s a test called the Five-Factor Model of Personality that can measure a person’s extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience.
And according to the mother-of-two, those who score high in ‘agreeableness’ and ‘conscientiousness’ are the most susceptible to toxic relationships.
‘What research has shown is that women who scored high in agreeableness and conscientiousness were perfect prey for these people,’ she shared. ‘I score very high in both.
‘A woman who’s agreeable is very tolerant and loyal and kind. She’s very pro-social, her life is all about relationships.
‘And a woman who’s very conscientious is very determined, has tons of integrity, wants to see things through.’
Nadine also opened up about the three biggest ‘red flags’ that she thinks every woman should look out for when starting a relationship.
Now, the model-turned-therapist has spoken exclusively to DailyMail.com about the characteristics that she believes narcissists gravitate towards most
According to the mother-of-two (seen with Jordan), those who are ‘agreeable’ and ‘conscientious’ are the most susceptible to toxic relationships
Nadine also opened up about the three biggest ‘red flags’ that she thinks every woman should look out for when starting a relationship
She said that if your partner failed to ‘respect your boundaries’ or used words that didn’t ‘match his actions,’ you should be wary.
She said that if your partner failed to ‘respect your boundaries’ or used words that didn’t ‘match his actions,’ you should be wary. She’s seen with Jordan and their two kids
Nadine also warned against ‘love bombing’ – which is described as ‘an attempt to influence another person with over-the-top displays of attention and affection.’
‘Love bombing is a strange one because it can feel so good,’ she added. ‘So it’s kind of a tricky one to see.’
Jordan spent 22 months in prison after it was brought to light that he had scammed more than 1,500 people through an elaborate stockbroker scheme in 1999.
Nadine previously revealed on TikTok that she ‘walked away from their marriage with absolutely nothing’ – since she was asked to turn over all of her valuables to the government following his arrest.
While chatting with DailyMail.com, she recalled what it was like come out of the romance with so little, and she admitted that while she was ‘very, very afraid,’ she was ‘full of relief’ since she was finally ‘free.’
‘I was very, very afraid, but yet I was full of relief, ’cause I was free,’ she shared. ‘So I think that was worth more to me than anything.’
Jordan (seen left in the movie and right in real life) spent 22 months in prison after it was revealed he had scammed more than 1,500 people through a stockbroker scheme in 1999
Nadine reflecting on being left with ‘nothing’ following their split, and she said that while she was ‘very, very afraid,’ she was ‘full of relief’ since she was finally ‘free’
As for how she was able to start over following the tumultuous split, Nadine (seen with their kids) explained that getting ‘educated’ and ‘talking’ about what she went through helped her
As for how she was able to start over following the tumultuous split, Nadine explained that getting ‘educated’ and ‘talking’ about what she went through helped her immensely.
When asked about the steps women should take after leaving an unhealthy relationship, she urged, ‘First, they have to get educated. Education, I think, is what really leads to confidence and empowerment.’
She also encouraged women who have been with an abusive partner to talk to a ‘trauma-informed therapist,’ and form a ‘small circle of people that they can trust.’
‘You need a lot of emotional support,’ she continued. ‘You can’t let it consume your life.
‘Talk to every single person about it. I was lucky in the sense that I had company [with my two kids].’
Lastly, she suggested that they ‘go back to work if they can,’ adding: ‘Or go to school – do something where you can have your own autonomy so you can support yourself.’
Nadine did just that following her split from Jordan. She relocated to Los Angeles with her two kids, went to college, and earned her PhD in Counseling and Somatic Psychology.
She now dedicates much of her life to assisting others who may be suffering.
Earlier this month, she released a book entitled Run Like Hell: A Therapist’s Guide To Recognizing, Escaping, And Healing From Trauma Bonds as a bid to help survivors ‘go on to have healthy, positive relationships and lives, armed with knowledge and awareness.’
After the divorce, Nadine relocated to LA with her two kids, went to college, and earned her PhD in Counseling and Somatic Psychology. She now dedicates her time to helping others
She has become a viral TikTok star for spilling numerous secrets about their marriage and using her experience to give others who may be dealing with unhealthy relationships advice
She has also become a viral TikTok star in a recent months for spilling numerous secrets about their marriage, revealing which scenes of the movie were accurate and which were exaggerated for the sake of views, and using her experience to give others who may be dealing with unhealthy relationships advice.
Nadine has since remarried, and she has been with her new husband, John Macaluso (seen together), who has three kids from a past relationship, for 23 years now
And while she has been fiercely honest about the trauma that she endured while she was with Jordan, she told DailyMail.com that they were ultimately able to stay amicable for the sake of their kids.
‘[After the split] I took my kids to California and he was in New York, so I had a lot of time away from him and a lot of time to heal,’ she explained.
‘Because we had children together I made a choice, really, as their mother, to keep a good relationship with him, the best that I could.
‘That doesn’t mean we’ve always gotten along, but in the end, we’ve always put our kids first because we have an obligation to them.
‘We brought them into the world. How I feel towards him is different than how he behaves towards my kids, so as long as he’s a good dad [that’s what matters].’
Nadine has since remarried, and she has been with her new husband, John Macaluso, who has three kids from a past relationship, for 23 years now.
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk