Topline
Ivana Trump, a Czech-born businesswoman and model who was the first wife of former President Donald Trump, has died at age 73, according to a statement from the former president, who said the couple’s three children–Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric–were “her pride and joy.”
American real estate magnate Donald Trump with his first wife, Ivana (nee Zelnickova) at the Costume … [+]
Key Facts
The former president said she died at her home in New York City.
Ivana Trump was married to Donald Trump from 1977 to 1992, with the pair’s at times tumultuous relationship becoming fodder for numerous tabloid headlines, culminating in their divorce over Donald Trump’s affair with model Marla Maples, who would become his second wife.
She was also known for taking on top positions in the Trump business empire, at one time serving as executive vice president of the Trump Organization and president of the Trump Castle Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Ivana Trump also played major roles in the design of Trump Tower in New York City and helped oversee the construction of the ill-fated Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City.
Crucial Quote
“She was a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life,” Donald Trump said.
Key Background
Ivana Trump was born Ivana Zelníčková on February 20, 1949 in Zlín, a city in what was then Czechoslovakia. She immigrated to Canada in the early 1970s and worked as a ski instructor, before modeling work took her to New York City, where she met Donald Trump in 1976. The two married in 1977 and instantly became one of the most recognizable couples in the New York nightlife scene, regularly appearing at famed clubs like Studio 54. Ivana Trump became heavily involved in business ventures after marrying Donald Trump, and she went on to launch her own lines of jewelry, clothing and perfume after the divorce, which included a $14 million settlement payment for her. Ivana Trump had two more marriages after breaking it off with Donald Trump, both of which ended in divorce, but she retained the Trump name. She and Donald Trump appeared to have an amicable relationship in the years following the divorce, even appearing with her ex-husband in a 1995 Pizza Hut commercial that lampooned their break up.
Tangent
In a sworn deposition associated with the divorce that surfaced during the 2016 presidential campaign, Ivana stated Donald Trump ripped out her hair and raped her in an outburst he had over pain resulting from an alleged “scalp reduction” surgery to eliminate a bald spot. She later disavowed the claim through a lawyer, saying the rape allegation was not “literal.”
Further Reading
Inside Ivana’s Role in Donald Trump’s Empire (Vanity Fair)
Trumps Settle; She Gets $14 Million Plus (New York Times)
Documenting Trump’s Abuse of Women (New Yorker)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/07/14/ivana-trump-president-trumps-first-wife-dies-at-73/