Ivanka & Eric Trump Lead Tributes To Mum Ivana After Her Sudden Death

Ivana Trump, Donald Trump’s first wife, was found dead in her New York townhouse on July 14 at around 1 p.m. local time. Staff found the media personality, aged 73, lying unresponsive at the bottom of her stairs, per ABC News. Police are now investigating the possibility of a fall contributing to Ivana Trump’s death. As the Trump family come to terms with their loss, Ivana’s children have lead the online tributes to her, praising the impact she had on their lives.

Alongside an Instagram post sharing childhood photos of herself and her mum, Ivanka wrote: “Heartbroken by the passing of my mother. Mom was brilliant, charming, passionate, and wickedly funny. She modelled strength, tenacity, and determination in her every action.” Celebrating her mum’s zest for life, she continued: “She lived life to the fullest, never forgoing an opportunity to laugh and dance. I will miss her forever and will keep her memory alive in our hearts always.”

Ivana’s son Eric also shared a series of old family photos featuring his mum. He captioned the Instagram post with a moving tribute. “Our mother was an incredible woman — a force in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty, and caring mother and friend,” he wrote. “Ivana Trump was a survivor. She fled from communism and embraced this country. She taught her children about grit and toughness, compassion, and determination. She will be dearly missed by her mother, her three children, and ten grandchildren.”

Meanwhile, in a post shared on his own social media platform, Truth Social, former president Donald Trump said of his first wife: “She was a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life. Her pride and joy were her three children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric. She was so proud of them, as we were all so proud of her. Rest in Peace, Ivana.” At the time of publishing, Donald Trump Jr. has yet to publicly address his mother’s passing.

Born Ivana Marie Zelníčková, Ivana Trump was a native of the former Czechoslovakia, and grew up under communist rule, before leaving in the 1970s and moving to Canada, and then to New York City. She married Donald Trump in 1977, nine months after their first meeting. The business mogul was Ivana’s second husband. Her first spouse was Alfred Winklmayr, an Austrian ski instructor. She was herself a celebrated skier, and used to work as a ski instructor in Canada.

Ivana and Donald had three children together: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric, all of whom took on roles in politics following their father’s inauguration into the White House in 2017. Ivana and Trump divorced in 1992, amidst a cheating scandal. Their divorce was labelled the “Billion Dollar Blow-Out” by press who covered the proceedings extensively. During a cameo in the 1996 divorce film The First Wives Club, Ivana famously told the lead characters: "Don't get mad, get everything.”

Following her highly-publicised divorce, Ivana remained a media personality, often socialising with Manhattan’s elite set. She wrote four books, the most recent being her 2018 autobiography titled: Raising Trump: Family Values from America's First Mother.