NEW YORK (KNX) — Ivana Trump, the first ex-wife of former President Donald Trump, has died, a family statement confirmed Thursday. She was 73.
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"It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Ivana Trump," the statement read. "Our mother was an incredible woman — a force in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty, and caring mother and friend. 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," the statement continued.
Ivana (nee Zelnickova) and Donald Trump pose together at a Betsey Johnson fashion show in Bryant Park, New York,1997.Rose Hartman/Getty Images
The NYPD responded to a call of a person in cardiac arrest on the Upper East Side at 12:40 p.m., where they discovered her body, according to WABC-TV.
In a statement posted to Truth Social, Donald Trump said Ivana was "a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life."
“Her pride and joy were her three children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric. She was so proud of them, as we were all so proud of her. Rest In Peace, Ivana!” Donald Trump wrote.
Donald and Ivana Trump.Bob Sacha/Corbis via Getty Images
The Czech-American socialite and former model was married to Donald from 1977 to 1992. In 2017, she penned an autobiography entitled Raising Trump, sharing her maternal knowledge of nurturing the three eldest Trump children. At one point, she served as the chief executive of one of her husband's Atlantic City hotel casinos.
Ivana shied away from her husband's recent political fame, although she implied she was one of his confidantes and advisors during the campaign in 2016. By 2020, though, she "want[ed] this whole thing to be over with," telling People magazine that her ex-husband was "not a good loser."
Ivana Trump arrives at Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research Angel Ball 2017, at Cipriani Wall Street on October 23, 2017, in New York.ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
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1010 WINS contributed to this report.
