The Dark Moments From Ivana Trump's Funeral Sure To Turn Heads
After the cause of Ivana Trump's tragic death was revealed, Twitter lit up with conspiracy theories about the injuries she suffered. The New York City medical examiner determined that the 73-year-old fell down a staircase at her residence in Manhattan and suffered blunt force injuries to her upper body, per TMZ. Later, Extra shared footage of Ivana slowly and carefully ascending the steep, winding stairs in 2004, but some skeptics questioned the medical examiner's conclusion that her fall was accidental.
"I'm no fan of Ivana Trump, she was complicit in Donald Trump's business crimes, but I think a more thorough investigation of her untimely death needs to be done," tweeted NBCUniversal exec Mike Sington. "Notice the family has been silent on demanding a thorough investigation." Author Sarah J. Kendzior also mentioned Ivana's ex-husband when explaining why so many people were quick to suspect that foul play was involved in her death. "Trump has been implicated in many actual, provable conspiracies: fraud schemes, attempted coups, mafia plots, etc.," she wrote in a thread that included examples of such behavior.
After the circumstances surrounding Ivana's death caused a great deal of dark speculation on social media, reports on her funeral painted a bleak picture of the way the businesswoman was memorialized.
Donald Trump Jr.'s eulogy took a dark turn
Ivana Trump's funeral was held at St. Vincent Ferrer Roman Catholic Church on July 20. The New York Times reported that the seats inside the church weren't even half filled, while the New York Post estimated that there were about 100 people in attendance. The Times noted there weren't many recognizable faces among those paying their respects, but there was a group that commanded attention: Ivana's second husband and their three children, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump. The Trump kids all eulogized their mother, with Don Jr. recalling how she once called him and offered to let him live with her to escape the public spectacle of his family's political career. "That call was simultaneously the sweetest and most emasculating thing ever," he said.
While sharing his childhood memories of his mother, Don Jr. recalled being on the receiving end of corporal punishment more than once, saying that he learned "what Eastern European discipline was really all about" when he misbehaved at a restaurant and was dragged into the restroom by Ivana. He also reminisced about how she spanked him with a "wooden spoon" after Ivanka blamed him for something she actually did.
The somber-faced Trumps posed for cameras after the funeral. In a video shared on Twitter, a Donald supporter can be heard urging the ex-president to run in 2024, and Eric Trump raises a fist in response. "So inappropriate and disrespectful!" read one viewer's reaction.
A Hillary Clinton reference was erased from a tribute
Donald Trump's presence loomed large at Ivana Trump's funeral and was questioned by some Twitter users who recalled Ivana's allegations of sexual assault. Harry Hurt III references them in his book "Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump," writing that Ivana made the accusations during a divorce trial deposition. Ivana walked the claims back after her ex-husband launched his presidential bid in 2015. "The story is totally without merit. Donald and I are the best of friends ... Incidentally, I think he would make an incredible president," she said in a statement to CNN.
Trump's political ambitions seemed to come into play when it came time to create the two large tributes to Ivana's life that flanked the altar at her memorial service. Per the New York Post, one of the images in a gilded frame was a Vanity Fair cover from 1992 that featured a photo of Ivana and the words "Ivana Be a Star." In that same issue, there was a story about Donald's Democratic rival during the 2016 presidential election, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The magazine teased the Clinton profile in the corner of the cover. "Hillary Clinton: Will she get to the White House with Bill or without him?" a small red banner read. But as Variety critic Daniel D'Addario noted on Twitter, the banner was edited out of the display at Ivana's funeral.
Trump family's donation request might raise eyebrows
Instead of floral arrangements from friends and loved ones, Ivana Trump's gold-hued casket was surrounded by red roses, per the New York Post. As People explained, the Trump family requested mourners donate money to the charity Big Dog Ranch Rescue in lieu of sending flowers. Some Twitter users noted that Eric Trump's wife, Lara Trump, has been tied to the nonprofit, and in 2021, HuffPost reported it was seemingly being used to line the Trump family's pockets.
Per the outlet's findings, Big Dog Ranch Rescue spent almost $2 million at various Trump properties, including Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club and his nearby golf course in Florida. In 2018, the charity reportedly listed Lara as a chair of its fundraisers.
It's unclear whether Ivana requested the charitable donations herself before her death, but according to People, Ivanka Trump seemed to suggest that her mother might not have been on board with the idea of a traditional memorial service at all. "My mother hated funerals," she informed funeral goers. But perhaps no eulogy was darker than that of the Trump children's former nanny, Dorothy Curry. According to The New York Times, Curry seemingly suggested Ivana was lonely and falling prey to the wrong people. "Ivana, we have reached out to you many, many times, but obviously we didn't reach out far enough," she said. "We all basically let go and let God, and now you are totally in God's hands."