[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Ivana Trump, the first wife of former U.S. President Donald Trump, passed away at the age of 73 on the 14th (local time).
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and others reported, citing a statement from former President Trump, that Ivana died at her Manhattan residence that day. The cause of death was not separately disclosed, but local media such as the New York Post cited fire department officials saying the cause was a heart attack.
Born in February 1949 in Czechoslovakia, Ivana was active as a model in the early 1970s. She met real estate developer Trump in New York in 1976, married him the following year, and divorced in 1992. Former President Trump expressed his condolences on his social media platform Truth Social, saying, "She was a wonderful, beautiful, and great woman."
Ivana Trump, the first wife of former U.S. President Donald Trump [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]
Ivana and Trump had three children: eldest son Donald Trump Jr., second son Eric, and eldest daughter Ivanka. The Trump family said in a separate statement, "Ivana was a survivor. She escaped communism in (Czech) and came to this country. She taught her children determination, strength, and passion," adding, "Our mother was an incredible woman."
Foreign media have evaluated Ivana as a key figure in building Trump's public image. After marrying Trump, Ivana served as vice president in charge of interior design at the Trump Organization, leading the openings of Trump Tower in Manhattan and the Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Both Trump and Ivana were recognized as the most famous "power couple" in New York during the 1980s, attracting public attention.
After divorcing Trump in 1992, Ivana married Italian businessman Riccardo Mazzucchelli, and in 2008, she married Italian model Rossano Rubicondi, who was more than 20 years her junior, but they divorced a year later.
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