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Ivana Trump, first wife of Donald Trump, dies aged 73
Donald Trump has announced the death at 73 of Ivana Trump, his first wife and the mother of his three oldest children, Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric.
In a post to his Truth Social platform, the former president said: “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. Her pride and joy were her three children … She was so proud of them, as we were all so proud of her. Rest In Peace, Ivana!”
Ivana Trump was born in Zlin, in what is now the Czech Republic, in 1949. She became a skier, ski instructor and model, and married Donald Trump, then a New York real estate magnate, in 1977.
She joined Trump’s business, a partner in both the management of casinos and hotels and the projection of a glitzy, gaudy lifestyle which made the pair prominent figures in Manhattan society – and global celebrity culture – throughout the 1980s.
In 2018, the Guardian revealed that intelligence operatives from then-communist controlled Czechoslovakia spied on the Trumps, hoping to gain information about the “upper echelons of the US government”.
On Thursday, the New York police department said: “An emergency call was placed at 12.40pm. When first responders arrived [at Trump’s home on the Upper East Side] they found her unconscious and unresponsive. [Trump was] pronounced … dead at the scene. There does not appear to be any criminality.”
The New York Office of Chief Medical Examiner said it would investigate.
In a statement, the Trump family said: “Our mother was an incredible woman – a force in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty and caring mother and friend.”
Donald Trump’s infidelity famously led to his divorce from Ivana, an agreement settled in 1992. Donald Trump was subsequently married to Marla Maples, the mother of his daughter Tiffany. They divorced in 1999. Donald Trump married his third wife, Melania Knauss, the mother of his son Barron and eventually his first lady, in 2005.
In Raising Trump, a memoir published in 2017, when her former husband was in the White House, Ivana Trump referred derogatorily to Maples.
She wrote: “I’m not saying that if it weren’t for the showgirl, Donald and I would still be together or that my life since our divorce hasn’t been a wonderful adventure of love, travel, success, and laughter. I’ve had a fabulous life.
“But that woman knowingly entered into a relationship with my husband, the father of three small children. She actively participated in humiliating me in the media and indirectly put my kids at risk for months. I went through hell, and then I was expected to be OK with her being around my children? We all have deep scars from that period of our lives, in part due to her actions. The fact that the kids and I came through the entire ordeal stronger is irrelevant.”
Ivana Trump at the 17th Life Ball, a charity event supporting people living with HIV/Aids, in Vienna in May 2009.
Ivana Trump at the 17th Life Ball, a charity event supporting people living with HIV/Aids, in Vienna in May 2009. Photograph: Leonhard Föger/Reuters
A 1993 biography, Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J Trump, contained details from a sworn divorce deposition in which Ivana Trump said her husband raped her.
Donald Trump denied the allegation. Ivana said she had not meant “rape” in “a literal or criminal sense” but also said: “As a woman, I felt violated.”
The story resurfaced when Trump ran for the presidency in 2015 and faced accusations of sexual assault from multiple women. Michael Cohen, his then lawyer and fixer, told the Daily Beast Trump “never raped anybody” and claimed, inaccurately under New York state law, “you can’t rape your spouse”.
Cohen later apologised for that remark. He also threatened legal action, which did not ensue.
Trump’s first marriage haunted his candidacy and presidency in other ways. Amid constant speculation about how far to the right his political views really were, a 1990 interview with Vanity Fair came to be much-discussed. In the piece, Ivana was reported to have told her lawyer her husband kept a book of Adolf Hitler’s speeches by his bed.
Ivana Trump told media outlets she supported her former husband’s move into politics and claimed to be an informal adviser. In November 2020, however, after Donald Trump lost his bid for re-election, she told People: “I just want this whole thing to be over with, one way or the other. I really don’t care.”
She also said her former husband was “not a good loser” – his attempts to overturn his defeat by Joe Biden, including inciting an attack on Congress, are now the subject of multiple investigations – and said she wanted her children “to be able to live their normal lives”.
She added: “I think they enjoyed being around Donald and running the election and seeing what will happen, but now it is – thank God – over.”
Among online tributes to Ivana Trump on Thursday, Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, wrote: “Very saddened to learn of the passing of Ivana Trump. Please keep her children and the entire Trump family in your prayers.”
From the New York Times, which has for decades chronicled the lives of the Trumps, Michael Barbaro, the host of the Daily podcast, wrote: “Ivana Trump … was the great love of Donald Trump’s life – a complex, career-oriented figure who truly challenged him, which is in part why he left her … Trump likes yes people. Ivana wasn’t that.”
On Thursday, the Trump family 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. She will be dearly missed by her mother, her three children and 10 grandchildren.”
China has revamped its tax refund policy for foreign tourists, shifting from a refund-upon-departure model to a more convenient refund-upon-purchase system, according to the State Taxation Administration (STA).
The STA announced on Tuesday that under the new system, foreign visitors can now claim Value Added Tax (VAT) rebates instantly at designated tax-free stores. This change allows tourists to use their refunded amount immediately for additional shopping, enhancing their overall experience in China.
Previously, VAT rebates could only be withdrawn upon departure, but with the new policy, tourists will be able to access their refunds in real-time during their stay. The policy, which was initially tested in cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangdong, has now passed all operational requirements and will be rolled out nationwide.
The STA emphasized its dedication to improving policy guidance and simplifying refund procedures to better serve international visitors.
Li Xuhong, Vice-President and Professor at the Beijing National Accounting Institute, welcomed the change, stating that the nationwide implementation would raise China’s tourism service standards. “It will foster a friendly, efficient, and convenient tourism environment,” Xuhong added.
Rep. Jaafaru Yakubu, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on China-Nigeria Parliamentary Relations, has reiterated Nigeria’s firm commitment to the One-China Policy, following recent comments by Taiwan’s Trade Mission Head in Nigeria, Andy Yih-Ping Liu.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, Yakubu firmly declared that Nigeria continues to recognize Taiwan as an integral part of the People’s Republic of China. He rejected Liu’s claim that Taiwan was not part of China, labelling it as “propaganda” aimed at undermining the strong diplomatic ties between Nigeria and China.
“For the record, United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, adopted in 1971, recognised the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate representative of all of China, including Taiwan,” Yakubu stated. “The One-China Policy remains the cornerstone of China-Nigeria relations.”
He emphasized that since Nigeria and China established diplomatic ties in 1971, the country has consistently upheld this principle. “Efforts by Taiwan’s trade office to challenge this stance are futile and will not succeed,” Yakubu added.
Yakubu criticized Liu’s comments as an attempt to draw Nigeria into China’s internal matters, accusing the Taiwanese official of deliberately sowing discord and provoking a diplomatic rift. “Nigeria’s relationship with China is built on mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s political matters,” he said.
In response to Liu’s claim that China acted as a bully, Yakubu pointed to the positive trajectory of Nigeria-China relations. “Contrary to these baseless assertions, Nigeria has enjoyed a mutually beneficial partnership with China, yielding tangible results for both nations. Since 1971, our ties have grown significantly.”
He highlighted the strategic nature of the partnership, referencing the elevation of the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the 2024 FOCAC Summit in Beijing. “Today, Nigeria stands as China’s second-largest trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade surpassing 20 billion dollars,” Yakubu noted.
Furthermore, Yakubu praised China’s role in Nigeria’s infrastructural development, with investments in sectors such as rail networks, roads, ports, power stations, and water treatment facilities.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has cautioned Nigerian media practitioners against the growing tendency to romanticise serious national issues, describing the trend as a dangerous departure from the media’s constitutional duty of promoting truth and accountability.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Modibbo Umar, the Vice President issued the warning on Tuesday while delivering a speech at the 17th LEADERSHIP Conference and Awards held at the Old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.
“We must resist the temptation to romanticise serious national issues or frame them in ways that distort public understanding,” Shettima said. “Doing so only weakens the fabric of our democracy and derails our collective efforts at nation-building.”
The Vice President’s remarks came as stakeholders in governance, business, and civil society gathered to reflect on the theme of the event, “Challenges and Opportunities in Nigeria’s Fiscal Federalism.” The conference provided a platform for thoughtful engagement on some of the country’s most pressing issues, with a focus on the responsibilities of leadership at all levels.
Shettima also used the occasion to commend LEADERSHIP Newspapers Group for its consistent contributions to national discourse and its commitment to celebrating excellence in leadership.
“I commend LEADERSHIP Newspaper for the vision to convene this vital discourse and for shining the light on those who have chosen to lead with courage and competence. May we never tire of striving for a better Nigeria,” he said.
The annual LEADERSHIP Conference and Awards continues to be a major event that brings together influential voices to deliberate on national progress and honour individuals and institutions making meaningful impact in society.
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