Donald Trump’s ex-wife Ivana, 73, spent her final hours dining at her favourite Italian restaurant ‘in good spirits’ hours before she was found dead at the bottom of the stairs in her New York townhouse

• Ivana Trump, 73, found dead inside New York townhouse after suffering what is believed to be a cardiac arrest
• Paola Alavian, owner of nearby Italian restaurant Altesi’s, said she dined with him the night before she died 
• He said she seemed ‘normal’ but was ‘maybe a little bit tired’ and ordered ‘a very, very small amount of food’
• Ivana was found the following day at the bottom of a staircase at her Manhattan home by a member of staff who called police and told them she wasn’t breathing, before medics pronounced her dead 

Ivana Trump seemed in good spirits but was tired and ordered only a small amount of food as she dined at her favourite New York restaurant hours before she was found dead at the age of 73, the distraught owner has said.

Paola Alavian, who owns Italian eatery Altesi’s located just a short walk from Ivana’s townhouse in Manhattan’s upmarket Upper East Side, said she had dined with him on Wednesday night – the day before she died. 

Ivana seemed in good spirits, he said, but ‘looked maybe a little bit tired’ and ordered a ‘very, very small amount of food’ before collecting the check and heading home for the last time.

The following morning, while climbing the stairs inside her apartment, the businesswoman and former model suffered what is believed to have been a cardiac arrest – causing her to fall.

She was found lying at the bottom of the staircase shortly after midday Thursday by a female member of staff arriving for work who unlocked the door, discovered she wasn’t breathing, and called police.

Cops say they were called to the apartment to reports of someone suffering a cardiac arrest around 12.40pm, before Ms Trump was pronounced dead. A post-mortem is being carried out to establish the exact cause and time of her death. A source close to the family said her health had been declining for some time.

Ivana was best-known as the first wife of real-estate heir and businessman Donald Trump, who she married in 1977, and as the mother to his three eldest children – Ivanka, Eric and Donald Jr.

The pair divorced in 1992 after she discovered he was having an affair with the woman who would go on to become his second wife, Marla Maples. Ivana went on to become a businesswoman in her own right, as well as a media personality, fashion designer, and author.

Born behind the Soviet Iron Curtain before finding her way to Canada and then New York where she made her fortune, she is perhaps best-remembered by a line she delivered in 1996 film The First Wives Club shortly after divorcing Trump: ‘Ladies, you have to be strong and independent, and remember, don´t get mad, get everything.’

Ivana Trump has passed away at the age of 73 of a suspected cardiac arrest after being found ‘unconscious and unresponsive at the bottom of a set of stairs in her apartment’. She was last pictured (above) on June 22 in New York City 

Ivana’s youngest child Eric, 38, was seen outside his mother’s New York home on Thursday afternoon shortly after the news of her death broke. He issued a statement to DailyMail.com in the wake of Ivana’s passing, praising her as an ‘incredible woman’

Eric was joined by his wife Lara Trump, 39, who kept her face shielded with large sunglasses as she made her way out of her late mother-in-law’s home

The youngest child of Donald and Ivana Trump was seen climbing into a waiting vehicle outside of the townhouse where his mother was found dead 

Mr Trump was the first to share news of her death on Thursday, paying tribute to her on his Truth Social platform.

‘I am very saddened to inform all of those that loved her, of which there are many, that Ivana Trump has passed away at her home in New York City,’ he wrote. 

Trump described her as a ‘beautiful, amazing’ woman, while honoring her close bond with their children together: Donald Jr, Eric, and Ivanka. 

Describing her final night at Altesi Ristorante, Mr Alavian told the US Sun: ‘As always she asked me how I was doing – she was always supporting us – and we just shared an extremely normal conversation.

‘Her health seemed normal, she looked maybe a little bit tired, but she otherwise seemed okay.

‘She was just an excellent human; she was a really, really good person.’ 

Ivana’s son Eric confirmed the news of Ivana’s death to DailyMail.com, saying in a statement issued on behalf of the family: ‘Our mother was an incredible woman – a force in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty, and caring mother and friend. 

‘Ivana Trump was a survivor. She fled from communism and embraced this country. She taught her children about grit and toughness, compassion and determination.

It was reported by ABC News that Ivana was found ‘unconscious and unresponsive’ at the bottom of a set of stairs in her New York City townhouse (pictured) 

‘She will be dearly missed by her mother, her three children and ten grandchildren.’

Detectives believe Trump was fatally injured falling down the stairs, perhaps after suffering a medical episode, a police official told the Daily News. Foul play is not suspected.

She was last seen alive on Wednesday at 4.30pm when her housekeeper and assistant left the home, the person said. 

Two people familiar with the matter told AP that police believe her death was accidental. The medical examiner’s office will determine an official cause of death.

Police said that Ivana was discovered unresponsive at 12.40pm by cops who had been called to her Upper East Side townhouse on a wellness check, according to the New York Post. 

Authorities are investigating whether a cardiac arrest may have played a role in her death, the outlet reported. 

Ivana was last pictured out and about in New York City on June 22, when she was seen leaving her Upper East Side townhouse and being escorted to hair salon.

Images showed the socialite being assisted by an aide, who gave her arm to Ivana as they strolled down the sidewalk to her hair appointment. 

Ivana had also planned to visit her regular salon on Thursday, in preparation for a St. Tropez getaway.

Fatih Cakirca, the brother of salon owner Salih Cakirca, told DailyMail.com that his brother had done Ivana’s hair for 20 years, and that she came in once a week to get the ‘Ivana Classic’.

‘I’ve also known her for 20 years. She was a very nice lady, we’re shocked and sad. She had an appointment today at 2pm and the housekeeper just cancelled,’ he said.

‘I know she was going to St Tropez until September. I just saw her last Friday, she came to the salon, I did her hair. She was great, nothing wrong with her. She looked very healthy and happy. She was a very lovely lady …. Very friendly,’ added Fatih Cakirca, who works alongside his brother at Salih Salon, not far from Ivana’s home.

The 73-year-old grandmother had remained highly cloistered during the COVID-19 pandemic, but planned to depart for her St. Tropez trip on Friday, her best friend Nikki Haskell told Page Six. 

‘She was leaving for St. Tropez tomorrow. This was going to be her first trip away since the pandemic,’ said Haskell. ‘She was afraid of getting the virus,’ 

Haskell added that Ivana was ‘totally locked down’ during the pandemic and ‘wouldn’t go anywhere’ because she was so afraid of catching COVID-19. 

Ivana Trump is seen walking her dog Tiger on a stroll with an aide in New York City in 2020. Friends say she had remained highly cloistered during the COVID-19 pandemic, and feared falling ill

On Thursday, an unidentified individual, center, leaves the residence of Ivana Trump with Trump’s yorkie dog called Tiger, following Trump organization executive Matthew Calamari, left, after Ivana’s death

Lara Trump and Eric Trump are seen leaving Ivan’s Manhattan home after she was found dead on Thursday

Ivana is seen in 2016 with her regular hair dresser Salih Cakirca. Her salon said that she missed an appointment on Thursday, the same day she was found dead in her townhouse 

Ivan’s Yorkshire Terrier, named Tiger, is seen being brought out of her townhouse following her death

Media gather outside the residence of Ivana Trump on Thursday after her death at age 73 

Ivana Trump is survived by her mother, her three children and 10 grandchildren. 

Ivana’s mother, Marie Zelníčková, is 95 and due to turn 96 in September; she was last seen with her daughter in 2019, when the family gathered to mark the matriarch’s 93rd birthday. 

Ivana’s daughter Ivanka Trump posted a tribute to her mother on Instagram, sharing several family photos from throughout the years. 

‘Heartbroken by the passing of my mother. Mom was brilliant, charming, passionate and wickedly funny. She modeled strength, tenacity and determination in her every action,’ wrote Ivanka.

‘She lived life to the fullest — never forgoing an opportunity to laugh and dance,’ she added. ‘I will miss her forever and will keep her memory alive in our hearts always.’

Eric also took to Instagram to post a tribute to his late mother, sharing several images of the socialite and her children over the years, including photos of Ivana with her children when they were younger. 

A grieving Eric was pictured leaving his late mother’s home on Thursday afternoon, at around 4.30PM ET, making his way out of the townhouse alongside his wife, Lara. 

Lara posted her own touching tribute to her mother-in-law on Instagram, writing: ‘An incredible spirit…an unmatched icon…an amazing woman. We love you, Ivana.’

According to TMZ, Ivana – who was reportedly worth $100 million when she died – was discovered in her home not breathing by a female employee arriving for the day, who called 911.

Ivana Trump, model and first husband of former President Donald Trump, is being remembered fondly by her children with the ex-Commander in Chief. 

Her only daughter, Ivanka Trump, posted to Instagram shortly after the news of her death broke with a series of photos of them together throughout the Trumps’ lives. 

‘Heartbroken by the passing of my mother,’ she wrote. ‘Mom was brilliant, charming, passionate and wickedly funny. She modeled strength, tenacity and determination in her every action. 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.’

Her youngest son, Eric Trump and his wife Lara, did the same Thursday evening. Trump’s eldest son, Donald Jr., has yet to comment.

Ivana Trump, model and first husband of former President Donald Trump, is being remembered fondly by her children with the ex-Commander in Chief

Her youngest son, Eric Trump, posted this photo of the two of them Thursday evening to Instagram

Lara Trump also shared touching pictures of her mother in law from her wedding and with her son

Ivana was born in Czechoslovakia in 1949 to an electrical engineer father, Miloš Zelníček and telephone operator mother, Marie, however she relocated to Canada in the mid-1970s, before moving to the US, where she took up residence in New York City. 

Ivana is survived by her three children, as well as her 95-year-old mother, Marie Zelníčková (seen together in 1990)

The then-teen used her impressive talents as a skier in order to plan her escape from behind the Iron Curtain; before her marriage to Trump, Ivana was wed to an Austrian ski instructor, Alfred Winklmayr, a friend with whom she tied the knot in order to gain an Austrian passport, which enabled her to leave her communist home country and move to Canada. 

She divorced Winklmayr shortly after she was granted an Austrian passport – and she then went on to enjoy a romance with a ski boutique owner in Montreal while also working as a ski instructor. However after just a couple of years of living in Canada, Ivana relocated to Manhattan to pursue her work as a model. 

It was here that she met Trump, whom she wed in 1977, having first met him at an event that she attended with a group of fellow models. 

Ivana wed Trump in a private ceremony held at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City – and they went on to have three children together: Donald Jr., born in 1977, Ivanka, born in 1981, and Eric, born in 1984. 

The couple were married for 13 years before splitting in 1990 after Trump had an affair with Marla Maples, who went on to become his second wife. Ivana was awarded a hefty $14 million as part of her divorce settlement with her former husband, which was made official in 1992 – just months before Trump wed Maples. 

Ivana was said to have been left furious over her then-husband’s illicit relationship with Maples, whom she repeatedly bashed in the years following her split from Trump. 

The bitter divorce became tabloid fodder, and four years after the split Ivana appeared in the 1996 hit film ‘The First Wives Club’ with the now-famous line, ‘Ladies, you have to be strong and independent, and remember, don´t get mad, get everything.’

The cameo appearance helped cement Ivana’s status as an icon for defiant divorcees and spurned brides. 

Ivana and Trump shared three children: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric (seen in 2011), who issued a joint statement about their mother’s passing, describing her as ‘an incredible woman’ 

In a statement issued to DailyMail.com by Eric Trump, the siblings (seen with Ivana and Trump as children) said: ‘Ivana Trump was a survivor. She fled from communism and embraced this country. She taught her children about grit and toughness, compassion and determination’

Ivana Trump is seen with Donald Trump and their daughter Ivanka 

Boss of Ivana Trump’s favorite restaurant fights back tears as he recalls ‘wonderful lady’

Ivana Trump seemed ‘happy and healthy’ in the weeks before she died, her friends have revealed, as they expressed shock at her passing aged 73.

The ex-wife of the former president appeared ‘terrific’ and ‘in good spirits’ three weeks ago, the owner of her favorite restaurant told DailyMail.com.

Atilla Cetin, general manager at the Italian restaurant Nello, a block from the Upper East Side townhouse, fought back tears as he said he regretted not visiting her before she died.

Staff at her local salon, which she regularly visited, also expressed disbelief at the news, saying she looked very healthy as she prepared for a vacation in St Tropez.

Ivana died at the age of 73 after being found ‘unconscious and unresponsive’ in her New York City townhouse, hours before she had a hair salon appointment.

In 2017, Ivana detailed her feelings about Trump’s affair with Maples in her book, Raising Trump – revealing in an interview with CBS at the time that she refused to ‘talk about her’ because she was a ‘showgirl’ who would ‘never achieve anything in her life’. 

She then implied that Maples was to blame for her marriage ending.

‘Well, she was flirting… and I think she was flirting and and she got away with it,’ Ivana said.

When asked if she blamed Trump now for their marriage ending, Ivana replied: ‘I’m not sure, because Donald would get 1,000 business cards in the pocket every night. He could choose any girl he wanted to have. 

‘So I’m not sure if she was. There could be another one, could be another one. I really don’t know.’ 

Following her death on Thursday, Ivana’s divorce lawyer Ira Garr said: ‘I was really sad to hear this. Back when I was working with her, it was a really big part of my life. I represented her after her divorce.

‘There was a post-nuptial agreement in which Donald Trump would pay her an amount of money after she vacated Trump Tower and we were able to settle the matter amicably.

‘I also did her prenups for two subsequent marriages. I feel beholden to her. She referred me to a lot of her friends and brought my practice to another level.

‘All of the sudden, my clients had a lot more zeros. It came with a certain cachet to represent her, just like when I represented Rupert Murdoch in 2013.

‘I will always be grateful to these people. She always struck me as a devoted mother. She wanted her kids to have good manners, to do well in school and to work hard and be productive.

‘She was just a regular person. Down to earth. If we went to a restaurant she would always be chatting with the waiters.

‘She wasn’t a snob, she never held herself above other people. One day a young woman came into my office and I asked her how she got my name and she said, ‘From Ivana Trump.’

‘I asked, ‘How do you know Ivana?’ and she said she didn’t. She said she saw Ivana in a restaurant and followed her to the bathroom and asked ‘Who was your divorce attorney?’ and Ivana said ‘Ira Garr. Call my assistant tomorrow and she’ll give you his number.’ She was gregarious with people.

‘She invited me to her small wedding with Ricardo. When she had a retirement party for the children’s nanny she invited me and I sat at the table with her and the kids. I don’t know why, but she was always very kind to me.’

Ivana spent years working as a model – which is how she first met Trump, who, she was introduced to at an event in New York City 

Trump and Ivana (pictured in 1987) tied the knot in 1977, but split in 1990 after it was revealed he’d had an affair with Marla Maples, who would later become his second wife 

Following her split from Trump, Ivana began a romance with Italian businessman Riccardo Mazzucchelli, whom she wed in 1995, however the marriage was short-lived and the pair divorced just two years later. 

She then went on to date and marry Italian actor Rossano Rubicondi, who passed away in October 2021 following a battle with cancer. 

Rubicondi had liver cancer and suffered a lung aneurysm in the bathtub, his parents said in an interview with an Italian talk show. 

Ivana and Rubicondi dated for six years before they tied the knot in 2008 during a lavish $3 million ceremony at Mar-A-Lago, the Palm Beach estate owned by none other than her second ex-husband.

She was 59 at the time, while he was 36. 

The wedding was set to the theme of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Nights Dream and 400 guests attended, including the ex-President. 

Ivana’s relationship with Rubicondi went through several ups and downs over the years, with the former couple splitting just a few months after their marriage in 2008 and then again in 2009. 

They split for a third time in 2011, before reuniting in 2019, when they appeared on Italy’s version of Dancing With the Stars, before breaking up again just a few months later. 

But Ivana and Rubicondi remained close and were often pictured together in New York up until just a few months before he passed away.  

Ivana maintained a good relationship with Trump over the years, even speaking out to wish him a Happy Birthday in 2021, when she revealed that she had spoken with her ex-husband and joked to him that he shouldn’t ‘worry about his age’. 

However the socialite and former downhill skier was never one to hold back when speaking about her ex-spouse. 

In November 2020, following the presidential election – which Trump lost to Joe Biden – she discussed his refusal to accept the result, saying that he was ‘not a good loser’ and that he was likely going to ‘fight and fight and fight’ against conceding the race. 

Rossano Rubicondi, Ivana Trump and Ivanka Trump during the 2008 wedding of Ivana Trump and Rossano Rubicondi at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida

Ivana is seen with her three children and Rubicondi during her 2008 wedding to the Italian actor

Ivana split from Trump in 1990 after he had an affair with Marla Maples, who went on to become his second wife. The socialite then had a lengthy on-off relationship with Italian actor Rossano Rubicondi, who she married in 2008. He passed away last year after battling cancer

Ivana’s relationship with Rubicondi (seen together in 2018) went through several ups and downs over the years, with the former couple splitting just a few months after their marriage in 2008 and then again in 2009

‘He’s not a good loser,’ she told People of Trump. ‘He doesn’t like to lose, so he’s going to fight and fight and fight.’

Ivana went on to urge the former President to accept defeat, saying: ‘He has to go and declare that he lost. I just want this whole thing to be over with, one way or the other. I really don’t care.’

She was also incredibly outspoken about her feelings towards Trump’s currently wife Melania, sensationally stating in 2017 that she was the true ‘first lady’ because she was the then-President’s first wife. 

Ivana added that she had a ‘direct line’ to Trump at the White House, and spoke to him once every two weeks, but that she was always reluctant to call him because ‘Melania was there’. 

‘I [don’t] really want to call him there, because Melania is there,’ she told ABC News. ‘And I don’t want to cause any kind of jealousy or something like that, because I’m basically [the] first Trump wife. OK? I’m first lady.’

However, Ivana insisted that she would never have wanted to take on the role of first lady because she would have ‘hated Washington’, despite believing that she would be the perfect person for the job. 

‘Would I straighten up the White House in 14 days? Absolutely,’ she said. ‘Can I give the speech for 45 minutes without [a] teleprompter? Absolutely. Can I read a contract? Can I negotiate? Can I entertain? Absolutely. But I would not really like to be there. I like my freedom.’

In the last years of her life, Ivana – who was once a regular on the New York social scene – had shied away from glitzy public events, instead maintaining a much more low-key lifestyle. 

She was spotted on occasions stepping out in the Upper East Side neighborhood where her townhouse was located, either on shopping trips, or for meals that she often enjoyed with Rubicondi, before he passed away. 

In recent months, she has been accompanied by an unnamed female aide, who was frequently seen by her side whenever the socialite was pictured out in public. 

EXCLUSIVE: The extraordinary private life of Ivana Trump: Trove of photos show her loved up with Donald, lounging in a sequin swimsuit, posing with homemade birthday cakes, and soaking up the sun on vacation with her children  

By Natasha Anderson For Dailymail.Com

The world remembers her for the legacy she left as a model, world-class athlete and powerful businesswoman.

But to her children, Ivana Trump was a caring mother and friend who was devoted to her family.

Troves of photos discovered by a South Florida collector back in 2014 show the beauty loved up with her ex-husband, Donald Trump, vacationing with her children and posing with homemade birthday cakes.

Ivana, 73, passed away Thursday in her home in New York City’s Upper East Side after suffering cardiac arrest.

She is survived by her three children – Donald Jr, Eric and Ivanka – and ten grandchildren.

Troves of photos discovered by a South Florida collector back in 2014 detail the private life of Ivana Trump. Ivana (right) is pictured with her then-husband Donald (left) and their infant daughter, Ivanka (center)

The intimate family pictures mainly span the decades of the 1970s through the 1990s – before Ivana and Donald split. The pair are pictured together

Ivana, Donald, Eric and Ivanka, at Mar-a-Lago in 1998, a year before their divorce 

The intimate family pictures mainly span the decades of the 1970s through the 1990s – before Ivana and Donald split.

The pile features candid shots, polaroids and agency pictures from the likes of society shooter Mary Hilliard to Ron Galella, dubbed the ‘Paparazzo Extraordinaire’ and the bane of favorite subject Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ existence.

But more so, the photos show detail moments shared by the high-profile family behind closed doors.

Photographs captured at Ivana and Donald’s 1977 wedding show the model as a beautiful and radiant bride donning a rather simple white gown. 

She is pictured alongside her dashing groom as the pair exchanged vows at the altar of the Marble Collegiate Church in New York City.

Dancing at the reception that followed are shots of the groom’s folks Fred Sr., and Mary and the bride’s parents, Milos Zeinicek and Marie Francova.

Their love seemed to radiate throughout the early stages of their relationship. The couple was seen cozied up together at dinners, posing for photos on rooftops with champagne in hand and embracing each other in their luxurious home.

Ivana and Donald with his father Fred Trump. Trump was strongly influenced by his father in deciding to forge a career in real estate development

Ivana and Donald are pictured embracing each other while she holds a glass of wine in her hand

Ivana and Donald Trump are pictured together at a black-tie social gathering 

Ivana is pictured serving cake to her daughter, Ivanka Trump

Donald and Ivana Trump are pictured embracing each other at their Connecticut mansion

Ivana is pictured on an apparent vacation with her family

Photographs also detail the couple’s most intimate moments, when they became parents of three.

Ivana and Donald are pictured holding their infant children, seemingly smitten.

Birthday parties were snapped and notable in the fact that they did not seem like over the top affairs, but simply happy celebrations with no imported circuses or other extravagant entertainment.

In several photos Ivana is pictured alongside homemade cakes as the family celebrated together.

Pictures taken on vacations show the family soaked up the sun as Ivana wore a stunning blue, sequined bathing suit. On one trip – presumably to Disney World – Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric met cartoon character Donald Duck. They are pictured on the trip with their mother.

The trove of photos also documented the children’s lives growing up, including childhood bath time and how they dressed up to celebrate Halloween.

Ivana and Donald Trump are toasting with champagne from a NYC rooftop

Ivana Trump relished her role as a loving mother to her three kids and proudly described how she raised them without their father’s help

Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump are pictured in their Halloween costumes

Ivanka showing some love for her little brother Eric, who is three years younger

Ivana and Ivanka Trump are pictured together at a luncheon

One of the Trump boys is pictured smiling in a small baby bathtub

Ivana was born in Czechoslovakia in 1949 to an electrical engineer father, Miloš Zelníček and telephone operator mother, Marie, however she relocated to Canada in the mid-1970s, before moving to the US, where she took up residence in New York City.

The then-teen used her impressive talents as a skier in order to plan her escape from behind the Iron Curtain.

Before her marriage to Donald, Ivana was wed to an Austrian ski instructor, Alfred Winklmayr – a friend with whom she tied the knot in order to gain an Austrian passport, which enabled her to leave her communist home country and move to Canada.

She divorced Winklmayr shortly after she was granted an Austrian passport – and she then went on to enjoy a romance with a ski boutique owner in Montreal while also working as a ski instructor. 

However after just a couple of years of living in Canada, Ivana relocated to Manhattan to pursue her work as a model.

It was here that she met Trump, whom she wed in 1977, having first met him at an event that she attended with a group of fellow models.

Ivana and her children are pictured alongside Donald Duck

Ivana and Ivanka are pictured poolside with a group of ladies

Ivana lounging in what looks like Mar-a-Lago, just a breeze from Florida’s beach on the Atlantic 

Donald had it made in the shade, and relaxing in the sunshine of his Palm Beach property Mar-a-Lago, now worth $250 million

Ivana is pictured on a beach in a silver and black outfit

Ivana wed Trump in a private ceremony held at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City – and they went on to have three children together: Donald Jr., born in 1977, Ivanka, born in 1981, and Eric, born in 1984.

The couple were married for 13 years before splitting in 1990 after Trump had an affair with Marla Maples, who went on to become his second wife. Ivana was awarded a hefty $14 million as part of her divorce settlement with her former husband, which was made official in 1992 – just months before Trump wed Maples.

She fought ferociously for her kids during her divorce from Donald, and wrote in her memoir that it was she who raised them – not their dad who ‘provided’ for them but had no interest until they ‘could talk business with him’. 

She also took credit for the kids’ success and their mild manners.

Ivana was said to have been left furious over her then-husband’s illicit relationship with Maples, whom she repeatedly bashed in the years following her split from Trump.

A goggled Donald cuddles up with his little cuddle bunny Ivanka in the snow

Ivana helps her daughter Ivanka put in her earrings before an outting

Ivana and Ivanka are pictured together at an apparent masquerade event

Ivana smiles as her son prepares to blow out his birthday candles

A photograph of Ivana found inside the trunk 

Another photograph of Ivana and Donald found inside the discarded trunk

Ivana is pictured in a black lace and sequin dress sporting tassel earrings

Following her split from Trump, Ivana began a romance with Italian businessman Riccardo Mazzucchelli, whom she wed in 1995, however the marriage was short-lived and the pair divorced just two years later.

She then went on to date and marry Italian actor Rossano Rubicondi, who passed away in October 2021 following a battle with cancer.

Rubicondi had liver cancer and suffered a lung aneurysm in the bathtub, his parents said in an interview with an Italian talk show.

Ivana and Rubicondi dated for six years before they tied the knot in 2008 during a lavish $3 million ceremony at Mar-A-Lago, the Palm Beach estate owned by none other than her second ex-husband.

The troves of Trump family photos was discovered by a Florida collector in 2014

She was 59 at the time, while he was 36.

The wedding was set to the theme of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Nights Dream and 400 guests attended, including the ex-President.

Ivana’s relationship with Rubicondi went through several ups and downs over the years, with the former couple splitting just a few months after their marriage in 2008 and then again in 2009.

They split for a third time in 2011, before reuniting in 2019, when they appeared on Italy’s version of Dancing With the Stars, before breaking up again just a few months later.

But Ivana and Rubicondi remained close and were often pictured together in New York up until just a few months before he passed away.

Ivana maintained a good relationship with Trump over the years, even speaking out to wish him a Happy Birthday in 2021, when she revealed that she had spoken with her ex-husband and joked to him that he shouldn’t ‘worry about his age’.

However the socialite and former downhill skier was never one to hold back when speaking about her ex-spouse.

In November 2020, following the presidential election – which Trump lost to Joe Biden – she discussed his refusal to accept the result, saying that he was ‘not a good loser’ and that he was likely going to ‘fight and fight and fight’ against conceding the race.

‘He’s not a good loser,’ she told People of Trump. ‘He doesn’t like to lose, so he’s going to fight and fight and fight.’

Ivana went on to urge the former President to accept defeat, saying: ‘He has to go and declare that he lost. I just want this whole thing to be over with, one way or the other. I really don’t care.’

She was also incredibly outspoken about her feelings towards Trump’s currently wife Melania, sensationally stating in 2017 that she was the true ‘first lady’ because she was the then-President’s first wife.

Ivana added that she had a ‘direct line’ to Trump at the White House, and spoke to him once every two weeks, but that she was always reluctant to call him because ‘Melania was there’.

Ivana is pictured at a New Year’s Eve party

Ivana is seen helping her daughter, Ivanka, with her hair

Ivana is engaged in conversation at a black-tie event

Her youngest son, Eric Trump, posted this photo of the two of them Thursday evening to Instagram

Eric, Ivanka, Donald Jr. and Ivana are pictured together

Donald is pictured with his first born child, Donald Jr.

Ivana stands over Ivanka as she blows out the candles on her birthday cake

Ivana is pictured with her children Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric

Ivana Trump is pictured at an event with a group of women

Ivana and her three children enjoy an ice cream treat at an outdoor eatery

In the last years of her life, Ivana – who was once a regular on the New York social scene – had shied away from glitzy public events, instead maintaining a much more low-key lifestyle.

She was spotted on occasions stepping out in the Upper East Side neighborhood where her townhouse was located, either on shopping trips, or for meals that she often enjoyed with Rubicondi, before he passed away.

In recent months, she has been accompanied by an unnamed female aide, who was frequently seen by her side whenever the socialite was pictured out in public.

She died Thursday of a suspected cardiac arrest at the age of 73 after being found ‘unconscious and unresponsive’ in her New York City townhouse.

It was reported that the socialite was found at the bottom of a set of stairs in her Manhattan home, however an official cause of death has yet to be confirmed.

News of Ivana’s death was shared by ex-husband via a post on his Truth Social account on Thursday afternoon.

 ‘I am very saddened to inform all of those that loved her, of which there are many, that Ivana Trump has passed away at her home in New York City,’ Donald wrote.

‘She was a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life,’ he continued. ‘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!’

Ivana’s son Eric confirmed the news of Ivana’s death to DailyMail.com, saying in a statement issued on behalf of the family: ‘Our mother was an incredible woman – a force in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty, and caring mother and friend.

‘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.’

Eric also took to Instagram to post a tribute to his late mother, sharing several images of the socialite and her children over the years, including photos of Ivana with her children when they were younger.

Ivana and Donald embrace their daughter, Ivanka Trump

Donald and Ivana are pictured with their daughter, Ivanka, in 1991

International businessman Riccardo Mazzucchelli was able to woo the newly-single Ivana Trump with his expensive belongings, as he drove a Rolls Royce and owned a pricey townhouse in London while also keeping an apartment in Manhattan

Ivana became manager of the Plaza Hotel while her husband owned the famous property, and is pictured outside the building in 1990 

Despite divorcing in 1992, Donald and Ivana reunited in 1995 for a Pizza Hut commercial, which saw them poke fun of their tempestuous marriage 

Ivana is pictured holding Ivanka at a party

A loving mother until the end: How Ivana Trump doted on Don Jr, Ivanka and Eric and fought for them in her divorce, telling everyone she met proudly that SHE raised them (without their famous father!)

BY JENNIFER SMITH, CHIEF REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Ivana Trump may not have made it to the White House – but she relished her role as a loving mother to her three kids and proudly described how she raised them without their father’s help. 

After Donald took office and even for years privately beforehand, it was Ivana who took credit for the kids, their success and their mild manners. 

She fought ferociously for them during her divorce from their father, and wrote in her memoir that it was she who raised them – not their dad who ‘provided’ for them but had no interest until they ‘could talk business with him’. 

On Thursday, Eric Trump paid tribute to his mother after her death at the age of 73, writing in an Instagram post: ”It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Ivana Trump. 

‘Our mother was an incredible woman — a force in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty, and caring mother and friend. 

Ivana Trump may not have made it to the White House – but she relished her role as a loving mother to her three kids and proudly described how she raised them without their father’s help

Ivana, Donald, Eric and Ivanka, at Mar-a-Lago in 1998, a year before their divorce 

‘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.’ 

Ivana and Trump tied the knot in 1977. He was her second husband, and the only man she had children with. The pair welcomed their son, Donald Trump Jr., that year.

Next came golden girl Ivanka in 1980, then Eric in 1984. She and Donald finalized their divorce in 1999, but she wrote in her memoir that she knew it was over a decade earlier, when she noticed another woman.

‘This young blonde woman approached me out of the blue and said ‘I’m Marla and I love your husband. Do you?’

‘I said ‘Get lost. I love my husband.’ It was unladylike but I was in shock.’

She was referring, of course, to Marla Maples, Trump’s second wife and the mother to his fourth child, Tiffany. As her marriage to Donald, then a flashy millionaire celebrity, disintegrated, she fought for custody of the three kids.

”I got them up at 7 and to school by 8. After school, Ivanka had piano lessons and ballet lessons and ice-skating lessons. Donald Jr. and Eric had karate or golf or whatever it was. Then they did their homework. By 7:30 they would be in a coma and in bed asleep. If you keep them busy, they have no time to get into trouble,’ Ivana said previously of her parenting

Ivana Trump poses with her children, Donald Trump Jr. (L), Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump (R) after lunch at Frederick’s Madison November 16, 2006 in New York City

‘I got total custody of the kids when I divorced Donald. That was non-negotiable. But even if Donald and I had stayed together, I would have raised the kids.

‘Donald was the kind of father who was at the office at 6 in the morning.

‘I would take the kids to his office after the breakfast and they would play on the floor with the Legos while Donald was on the telephone.

‘He provided for them and he loved them. But he does not know how to make small talk and he certainly was not going to say, ‘Oh, choo, choo, choo, choo. How cute we are today. Let’s go to the park in the stroller.’ No.

‘That was not his kind of thing. He only started talking to them when they were in university and they could talk business,’ she told The New York Post in 2018.

She was ‘devastated’ by Trump’s lawyers’ claims during divorce negotiations that she was a bad mother.

She also recalled one near stalemate where Trump announced: ‘I’m keeping Don Jr.’

She shot back: ‘Keep him. I have two others to raise,’ and told fondly how Don Jr., then a boy, was back in her arms within hours. I knew Donald would not know what to do with him. It was hurtful, but I could not be intimidated.’

She maintained that the key to keeping the kids grounded was ‘discipline’.

‘I got them up at 7 and to school by 8. After school, Ivanka had piano lessons and ballet lessons and ice-skating lessons.

Ivana with Eric Trump in September 2015. He paid tribute to her on Thursday after her death at the age of 73 

 Ivana Trump leaves her New York home and drops off a Birthday present for Mother Ivana Trump in February last year 

Donald Jr. and Eric had karate or golf or whatever it was. Then they did their homework. By 7:30 they would be in a coma and in bed asleep. If you keep them busy, they have no time to get into trouble.’

‘Then they did their homework. By 7:30 they would be in a coma and in bed asleep. If you keep them busy, they have no time to get into trouble. ‘

It was a formula that seemed to work – or at least that kept them close.

Throughout their adolescence, Ivanka was her mother’s plus-one

The children were regularly spotted visiting their mother at her Upper East Side home, that she shared with her own mother.

Now 96, she outlived her larger-than-life daughter. Ivana died at home on Thursday at the age of 73.

Her death was announced by her ex-husband, who said on behalf of the family: ‘I am very saddened to inform all of those that loved her, of which there are many, that Ivana Trump has passed away at her home in New York City.

‘She was a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life,’ he continued. ‘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!’

‘Don’t get mad, get EVERYTHING’: How Ivana Trump went from Communist misery to wife of real estate mogul Donald and then went into business herself

• Ivana came from humble Czech roots, but died a millionaire after an astonishing life
• Her talent for skiing helped her escape the Iron Curtain for Canada, with her father’s encouragement
• She met Donald Trump while on a modeling job in NYC in 1976
• Their marriage brought her huge wealth – and a massive divorce settlement
• Ivana then turned her attention to fashion design and writing
• She remained one of the world’s most famous socialites until recent years 

BY JIMMY MCCLOSKEY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM 

Ivana Trump’s sudden death at the age of 73 has shone a light on the impressive rise of Donald Trump’s former wife, from poor Czech immigrant to business tycoon.

Her success – fueled by a hefty $14 million divorce settlement – was so notable that she even landed a cameo role in 1996 movie hit The First Wives Club.

That saw Ivana advise three Manhattan divorcees – played by Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton – ‘Don’t get mad, get everything.’

And Ivana certainly followed her own advice after splitting from Donald, turning her attention to fashion and jewelry lines, writing and a return to a modeling career that began during the 1970s.

At the time of Ivana’s death, her fortune sat at an estimated $100 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Ivana Trump’s amazing life took her from humble beginnings as a Czech skiing prodigy to one of the world’s best-known socialites who bagged a famous cameo in 1996 movie The First Wives club, which saw her poke fun at her divorce from Donald Trump  

Ivana became manager of the Plaza Hotel while her husband owned the famous property, and is pictured outside the building in 1990 

Ivana was born in the Czech city of Zlin in 1949, to electrical engineer father Miloš Zelníček and telephone operator mom Marie Zelníčková.

She was a prodigious skier. It was that talent – encouraged by her father – that proved the key to her escape from the gloom of life behind the Iron Curtain.

After marrying Austrian ski instructor Alfred Winklmayr – the first of her four husbands – Ivana was able to move to Canada in the early 1970s, where she worked as a ski instructor and model.

The sportswoman said she never considered modeling more than a temporary job.

But it ultimately led to her first meeting with Donald Trump during a booking in New York City in 1976.

That encounter helped propel Ivana to a life of unimaginable wealth and luxury – although she used her famed work ethic to turn her $14 million divorce settlement from Donald into an even greater fortune.

Rather than rest on her laurels during the Trumps’ tempestuous 15 year marriage, Ivana worked as executive vice president of interior design at the-then property mogul’s businesses.

That included overseeing the décor at Trump Tower in Manhattan – including its famed pink marble interior.

Ivana also oversaw construction of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in NYC, as well as the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic city.

She later became the manager of New York City’s iconic Plaza Hotel after Donald bought the Central Park South property in 1988.

After the Trumps divorce was finalized in 1992, Ivana was handed $14 million in cash, as well as multiple properties – including a Connecticut mansion she later sold for $18 million

Despite divorcing in 1992, Donald and Ivana reunited in 1995 for a Pizza Hut commercial, which saw them poke fun of their tempestuous marriage 

When Ivana’s marriage to Trump imploded in 1990, she was able to leverage a pre-nuptial agreement that had been updated four times during their marriage, to secure what was then one of the biggest divorce settlements in history.

She pocketed the cash after the split was finalized in 1992.

As well as the $14 million lump sum, Ivana was also given a 45 room Connecticut mansion, an apartment at Trump’s New York Trump Plaza apartment complex.

Ivana, pictured in an undated photo, also developed a successful career as a fashion designer, and sold glitzy clothes and jewels on QVC and the Home Shopping Network 

She went on to sell the Connecticut mansion for $15 million in 1998, almost doubling her assets at a stroke.

Ivana was also granted the run of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago country club in West Palm Beach, Florida, for a month a year.

Despite the couple’s torrid divorce – triggered by Donald’s affair with Marla Maples, who became his second wife – they reunited for a pithy Pizza Hut advert in 1995 which mocked their own relationship.

The commercial saw the pair pretend to flirt on screen while implying that getting back together would be ‘wrong’ – before revealing that they were actually discussing eating pizza crust-first.

And rather than enjoy settlement, Ivana set about building herself a business career to rival her former husband’s.

She designed multiple fashion lines inspired by her famously glitzy taste in clothes and jewels, which were sold on TV channels the Home Shopping Network and QVC.

Recognizing the power of her image, Ivana would herself appear on TV to sell her wares to viewers and make them feel as if a purchase would help give them a foothold into an enviable lifestyle like hers.

The pinnacle of her career as a fashion plate came in 1995, when she opened the House of Ivana fashion and fragrance company on New York’s Park Avenue.

In 1998, Ivana dabbled in the world of media, acquiring a stake in Croatia’s Slobodna Dalmacija newspaper, which was later sold as the publication’s fortunes declined.

She dabbled in property development, but enjoyed her most consistent success by marketing her own image.

Ivana published multiple autobiographical tomes, including For Love Alone and Free To Love.

She also penned a 1995 self-help book called The Best Is Yet To come, and even turned her attention to an agony aunt column.

It was called Ask Ivanka and ran in Globe for an impressive 15 years, from 1995 to 2010.

During her later years, Ivana largely dropped out of the spotlight. In 2017 she published Raising Trump, the definitive account of her marriage to the then-newly elected president.

The tome also focused on Ivana’s relationship with the couple’s three children; Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric.

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