Inside Ivana Trump's Life Before She Died
Ivana Trump was a model, but she was mostly known as former President Donald Trump's first wife, as well as the mother to Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump. But according to Cosmopolitan, she was also a competitive skier at the age of 12. She was raised in a stricter household, as she recalled a memory with her father from when she was 13.
"When I was doing poorly at school, my father yanked me out and got me a job in a shoe factory," she told Hello! "After three weeks I begged him to give me another chance at doing well in school. I learned that discipline is necessary to accomplish anything in life."
Her modeling career took off when she moved to Canada with Alfred Winklmayr, who was her first husband, per Town & Country. She was known for her partnerships with "Got Milk," designer Auckie Sanft, and Eaton's department store. Then in 1976, she met Donald Trump, with the pair welcoming three children after their marriage a year later. But what about Ivana's life after Donald, including the years leading up to her death?
Ivana Trump was outspoken until the very end
After Ivana and Donald Trump split in 1992, she took a page out of her ex's playbook by selling things with her name on them, cushioned by her hefty divorce settlement. She launched a fashion line, wrote books, started an advice column, and even had a role in "The First Wives Club," making light of her post-divorce status. But that was all in good fun, as she told the New York Post in 1999, "I would never say anything against him [Donald]. I have my children to think of."
The two were so friendly, in fact, that Ivana dished to Page Six in 2018 that they talked every month. She was also very vocal about Donald's tenure as president and how her kids were navigating their new roles in the White House. Ivana said during an appearance on the talk show "Loose Women" about her daughter Ivanka Trump, "I think she could be one day the first woman president, definitely. She's smart as hell, she's beautiful." Of course, she didn't get along with everyone all of the time, notoriously calling herself the real first lady as an apparent against Melania Trump. Donald's third wife had her then-spokesperson respond in kind.
Once Donald failed to secure his re-election, Ivana spoke up again, quipping to People at the time that her ex wasn't a "good loser." When she wasn't offering her always-interesting opinions, she found great joy in her 10 grandchildren.
Ivana Trump was a family woman
Ivana Trump helped raise her three children — Ivanka, Donald Jr., and Eric Trump — that she had with former President Donald Trump. She wrote about her relationship with them in her 2017 memoir "Raising Trump."
"No matter how busy I was, I had breakfast with my children every day," she stated in her book, as reported by OK! magazine. "I sat with them at dinner every night and helped them with their homework (I loved algebra) before going out in a Versace gown to a rubber-chicken charity event. Our bond was, and is, our most valuable possession."
In 2016, Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner welcomed their third child, Theodore, per People. Photographer Jason Binn shared a sweet photo on Instagram, that has since been deleted, of Ivana holding her newborn grandson. According to Page Six, Ivana loves her grandchildren, and they call her "Ivana-ma." "If they ever call me Grandma, I cut off the supplies of the toys," Ivana jokingly told the media outlet. Despite divorcing Donald Trump, it's clear Ivana remained a big part of the lives of her three children and her 10 grandchildren.
Ivana Trump was planning a getaway trip before she died
According to the Daily Mail, Ivana Trump was on her way to the hair salon hours before her death. The suspected cause of death is cardiac arrest, and a close source told the New York Post that over the past few years, her health was declining. The model and businesswoman was planning a trip to St. Tropez, France.
"She was leaving for St. Tropez tomorrow," Ivana's best friend Nikki Haskell told Page Six on July 14. "This was going to be her first trip away since the pandemic. She was afraid of getting the virus. She only walked from her house, to a restaurant next door, maybe one or two restaurants around the corner. That's it."
According to The Sun, Ivana had gone to her favorite restaurant in the Upper East Side, Altesi Ristorante, the day before she was found dead. The owner of the restaurant, Paola Alavian, said that despite her declining health, "her health seemed normal, she looked maybe a little bit tired, but she otherwise seemed OK." Even though the news of her death was shocking, her final days at least seemed exciting and memorable.