“I’m Very Sad” – Donald Trump’s First Wife Ivana Died

“Our mother was an incredible woman – a force in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty and a caring mother and friend,” the family said in a statement. “Ivana Trump was a survivor. She fled communism and embraced this country. She taught her children courage and resilience, compassion and determination,” the Trump family said.

Became part of New York’s elite
Ivana Trump is best known as the first wife of future US President Donald Trump. The former model and then real estate mogul became part of New York’s elite in the 1980s before gaining much publicity in the 1990s and Trump married his second wife, Marla Maples. Marriage with Ivana produced three children – Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric.

Ivana Marie Zelnícková was born in 1949 in what is now the Czech Republic. She showed sporting talent as a skier early on. She left her native country and emigrated to Canada, where she began a modeling career in the 1970s. In New York she met Donald Trump, whom she married in 1977.

Played a central role in Trump’s dealings
She then held numerous positions in her husband’s conglomerate and played a pivotal role in her husband’s business. She has worked at Trump Tower in Manhattan and oversaw the construction of a Trump Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

After Trump’s divorce, she wrote several books, including the guidebook, “The Best is Yet to Come: Dealing with Divorce and Enjoying Life Again.” In 2010, she returned to the limelight when she appeared on the British TV show Celebrity Big Brother.