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Ivana, the first wife of Donald Trump and the mother of three of his children, has died at the age of 73.
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote: “She was a wonderful, beautiful and wonderful woman who lived a great and inspiring life.”
Born in what is now the Czech Republic, Ivana Trump married Donald Trump in 1977. They divorced 15 years following their marriage in 1992.
They had three children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric.
Police believe the death was accidental, according to the Associated Press, which quoted sources as saying that Ivana was found unconscious near a staircase in her New York City home.
Donald and Ivana Trump were prominent figures in New York during the 1980s and 1990s. Their separation aroused widespread interest in the general public.
After their separation, Ivana launched her own cosmetics, clothing and jewelry business.
In her autobiography, released in 2017, she credits herself with raising their children. “Decisions were made regarding their education, activities, care and expenses” until they reached university, she said.
She added in her memoirs that her relationship with Donald Trump improved following the divorce, and said that she spoke to him regarding once a week.
The Trump family issued a statement praising her as “a powerhouse in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty, a caring mother and friend.”
“Ivana Trump was a survivor. She fled communism and embraced this country,” the statement said.
“She taught her children courage, toughness, compassion and determination,” the statement added.
Donald Trump was Ivana’s second husband, following marrying her skate coach and boyfriend Alfred Winkelmayer. It was said that her first marriage was with the aim of obtaining Austrian citizenship.
Her first marriage enabled her to leave her communist country – then Czechoslovakia – without splitting from it.
Ivana, who has been skiing for a long time, is said to have competed in that country.
But Donald Trump’s claims that she was on the bench for the 1972 Winter Olympics mission was refuted by a local Olympic official in 1989.
picture released, Getty Images
Donald and Ivana Trump in 1985
Ivana worked as a ski coach and model while living in Canada in the 1970s.
She was introduced to Donald Trump with a group of models on a business trip to New York in 1976. She married him the next world, and they soon became tabloids.
During their marriage, Ivana held several positions in the Trump Organization, including manager of the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan.
But Trump is said to have banned her from her office in 1990, following they had a falling out over four prenuptial agreements.
When the divorce was settled in 1992, Ivana signed a nondisclosure agreement, but she also received $14 million and a Connecticut mansion.
She later married Italian businessman Riccardo Mazuccilli (1995 – 1997) and then Italian actor Rosano Rubicondi (2008 – 2009).
In 2017, she told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that she didn’t want to make Trump’s current wife Melania jealous by calling him at the White House. “I’m basically Trump’s first wife. Well? I’m the first lady,” she added.
One of her phrases became one of the most memorable quotes, when she said in a supporting role in the 1996 movie The First Wives Club: “Ladies, be strong and independent. And remember, don’t get angry, take everything.”
