Ivana Trump

Not to be confused with her daughter, Ivanka Trump.
Ivana Trump

Trump in 2007
Born Ivana Marie Zelníčková
(1949-02-20) February 20, 1949
Zlín, Moravia, Czechoslovakia
(now Czech Republic)
Occupation
  • Businesswoman
  • model
  • author
  • socialite
Years active 1970–present
Spouse(s)
  • Alfred Winklmayr (m. 1971; div. 1973)
  • Donald Trump (m. 1977; div. 1992)
  • Riccardo Mazzucchelli (m. 1995; div. 1997)
  • Rossano Rubicondi (m. 2008; div. 2009)
Children
Family Trump

Ivana Marie Trump (née Zelníčková, Czech pronunciation: [ˈɪvana ˈmarɪjɛ ˈzɛlɲiːt͡ʃkovaː]; February 20, 1949) is a Czech-American businesswoman, author, socialite, and former fashion model. She was the first wife of President-elect of the United States Donald Trump.

Early years

Ivana Zelníčková was born in the Moravian town of Zlín (before known as Gottwaldov), Czechoslovakia, the daughter of Miloš Zelníček, who was Czech and Marie Francová. From a very young age, her father nurtured and encouraged her skiing talent. In the early 1970s, she attended Charles University in Prague.[1]

It is sometimes said that Zelníčková was selected as an alternate on the Czechoslovak ski team during the 1972 Winter Olympics, her specialties being the downhill and slalom.[2] However, in 1989, Petr Pomezny, Secretary General of the Czechoslovak Olympic Committee, said, "Who is this Ivana woman, and why do people keep calling us about her? We have searched so many times and have consulted many, many people, and there is no such girl in our records."[3]

Personal life

In 1971, Zelníčková married real estate agent Alfred Winklmayr. They divorced in 1973.[4] She left Czechoslovakia for Canada to be with a childhood friend, George Syrovatka, who owned a ski boutique there. For the following two years, she lived in Montreal, improved her English by taking night courses at McGill University, and worked as a model for some of Canada's top fur companies. Zelníčková then left Syrovatka and moved to New York to promote the Montreal Olympics.

Ivana and Donald Trump, in November 1985.

In New York, Zelníčková met Donald Trump, son of real estate developer Fred Trump. On April 7, 1977, they married in a lavish wedding. Donald and Ivana Trump became leading figures in New York society during the 1980s. They worked on several large projects, including the renovation of the Grand Hyatt Hotel and construction of the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey and the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.[5][6] They had three children: Donald John Jr. (born December 31, 1977), Ivanka Marie (born October 30, 1981), and Eric Fredrick (born January 6, 1984). Donald Jr. learned to speak fluent Czech (with help of his maternal grandfather), while daughter Ivanka has only basic understanding of her mother's native tongue and Eric was not exposed to the language because at the time of his birth his grandparents were already comfortable enough in using English.[7][8][9][10] Ivana has eight grandchildren.[11]

Ivana took a major role in The Trump Organization. She became the Vice President of Interior Design for the company, leading the signature design of Trump Tower. Afterwards, her then-husband appointed her to head up the Trump Castle Hotel and Casino as president. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1988.[12]

In the late 1980s, Trump left Atlantic City to devote more time to her family. Her husband asked her to oversee the restoration of the landmark Plaza Hotel, and she took over as its president. She was named Hotelier of the Year in 1990. Toward the end of that year, rumors began to circulate that Donald Trump was having an affair with a former beauty queen from Georgia, Marla Maples. While the family was on vacation in Aspen, Colorado, that Christmas, Ivana Trump encountered Maples on the ski slopes.[13] In 1991, she retained entertainment attorney Neil Papiano and filed for divorce, seeking a greater amount of the family fortune than had been set out in her prenuptial agreement. Her husband fought back in court, protesting her claims that she had contributed to the Trump Organization.

The divorce proceedings led to extensive pieces in the gossip columns. In October 1990, Ivana Trump's 63-year-old father died suddenly from a heart attack. The Trumps stood side-by-side at the funeral.[14] Their divorce was settled in 1992.[15] The settlement remains sealed by the courts. Not long after her divorce from Donald, Ivana married Riccardo Mazzucchelli.[16] The marriage was dissolved before two years had elapsed, and she filed a $15 million breach of contract suit against Mazzucchelli for violating the confidentiality clause in their prenuptial agreement.[17] The suit was settled out of court. In 1997, Mazzucchelli sued Ivana and Donald for libel.[18]

In April 2008, Trump, then 59, married Rossano Rubicondi, then 36.[19] The $3 million wedding for 400 guests was hosted by Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Ivanka Trump was her maid of honor.[20] On December 1, 2008, Ivana confirmed to the Associated Press that she had filed a legal separation agreement three months previously; she has stated in interviews that she and her husband have an on-again/off-again relationship.

Career

Soon after her divorce from Donald Trump, Ivana Trump signed on with the William Morris Agency and developed lines of clothing, fashion jewelry and beauty products that have been sold through television shopping channels. In June 1995, Trump began writing an advice column for Globe, titled Ask Ivana.[21] In 1998 she bought 33% of Croatia's second-largest daily newspaper[22] - with a circulation of 100.000 - she used to travel with her parents from the Czech Republic to Croatia on vacation. Also due to her investments in Croatia, and as a sports enthusiast and supporter of Croatian tourism, she attended the first ever Beach Polo Tournament[23] in Croatia, Rovinj, May 2016.[24] Also her daughter Ivanka Trump[25] still loves her European holidays in Croatia.[26] In February 1999, Trump launched her own lifestyle magazine titled Ivana's Living in Style.[27] Ivana Trump has written several books including the novels For Love Alone, Lucy Wilkins and Free to Love as well as a self-help book called The Best is Yet to Come: Coping with Divorce and Enjoying Life Again. In 2001, Ivana contributed an advice column for Divorce magazine.[28] She played a cameo role in the Hollywood film The First Wives Club (1996) with the line, "Ladies you have to be strong and independent. And remember: don't get mad, get everything."[29]

In 2005, Trump was involved in several proposed condominium projects that ultimately failed, including the never-built Ivana Las Vegas, and the Bentley Bay in Miami, Florida.[30][31] She was the host of Oxygen Network's reality-dating series Ivana Young Man in 2006. In January 2010, Trump ended her advice column in Globe to pursue other business interests.[32] Later that year, she sued a Finnish fashion company, accusing it of selling women's clothing that incorporates her name without permission.[33] In the same year, Trump took part in the UK's Celebrity Big Brother, finishing seventh.[34]

References

  1. ↑ van Meter, Johnathan (May 1989). "That's Why the Lady is a Trump". Spy (magazine). Sussex Publishers, LLC. ISSN 0890-1759 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ Bell, B., "They met, they saw and they conquered: Donald and Ivana Trump seemed to have it all", New York Daily News, Feb 11, 1990.
  3. ↑ van Meter, Johnathan (May 1989). "That's Why the Lady is a Trump". Spy (magazine). Sussex Publishers, LLC. ISSN 0890-1759. Retrieved 30 June 2013 – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ "After Months of Marital Swordplay, the Donald's No Longer a Hubby, and Ivana's No Longer a Trump". People. April 8, 1991. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  5. ↑ "After The Gold Rush". Vanity Fair. August 1990. Retrieved January 10, 2016. "They were married in New York during Easter of 1977. Mayor Beame attended the wedding at Marble Collegiate Church. Donald had already made his alliance with Roy Cohn, who would become his lawyer and mentor.
  6. ↑ "THE EMPIRE AND EGO OF DONALD TRUMP". The New York Times. 7 August 1983. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  7. ↑ "Ivana Trump Now Fashions Herself As Plaza's Innkeeper". Retrieved 2016-08-11.
  8. ↑ "Did Their Father Really Know Best?". NYMag.com. Retrieved 2016-08-11.
  9. ↑ "Donald Trump Jr. on Twitter: "I speak Czech fluently "@sofia5013: Jr great work with @operationsmile!! U travel quite a bit-wondering if u r fluent in other languages?""". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2016-08-11.
  10. ↑ "Ivanka Trump on Twitter". Retrieved 2016-08-11.
  11. ↑ Corcoran, Kieran (June 16, 2015). "Dad for President! Donald Trump's five children steal the spotlight at 2016 announcement - with nine-year-old Barron looking all grown up". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  12. ↑ "Ivana Trump becomes U.S. citizen". Associated Press. May 27, 1988. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  13. ↑ Lavin, Cheryl. "With 'Dynasty' Dead, Just Tune To The Trumps". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  14. ↑ Robert E. Tomasson (1990-10-31). "Chronicle". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  15. ↑ "IvanaTrump.com". IvanaTrump.com. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  16. ↑ "Riccardo, We Hardly Knew Ye : People.com". People.com. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  17. ↑ "IVANA WANTS TO MUZZLE SOON-TO-BE-EX". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  18. ↑ "Husband sues Ivana and Donald Trump for libel". independent.co.uk. 29 July 1997. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  19. ↑ Marx, Linda. "Ivana Trump Marries for the Fourth Time - Weddings, Ivana Trump". People.com. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  20. ↑ Ivana Trump weds actor Rossano Rubicondi: report Reuters
  21. ↑ "Ask Ivana". The Daily Gazette. June 1, 1995. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  22. ↑ Chicago Tribune, 1998, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-01-22/news/9801220095_1_ivana-trump-donald-trump-croatia
  23. ↑ NAANII GLOBAL Luxury Family Lifestyle -Magazin 'en Vogue'-: Article 'Croatia - 1000 islands - 1rst Beach Polo Tournament Rovinj 12.-15.5.2016'
  24. ↑ Polo+10, First Croatian Beach Polo 05.2016: http://www.poloplus10.com/rovinj-beach-polo-cup-2016-successful-beach-polo-premiere-croatia-65141/
  25. ↑ US Magazin.com: http://gawker.com/ivanka-trump-hanging-out-in-croatia-with-vladimir-putin-1785290129
  26. ↑ Daily Mail, UK, August 2016: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3743316/Yachting-enemy-Ivanka-Trump-Jared-Kushner-jet-ski-Croatia-Democratic-Hollywood-billionaire-David-Geffen-s-200m-boat.html
  27. ↑ White, Diane (February 24, 1999). "Picture This: Ivana Has Her Own Magazine". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  28. ↑ Zwecker, Bill, "Ivana's trump? Divorce column that shares all she's learned", Chicago Sun-Times, January 24, 2001
  29. ↑ Cettl, Robert (2010). Film Talk. Wider Screenings. p. 54. ISBN 9780987050038.
  30. ↑ Robison, Jennifer (August 15, 2005). "High-Rise Development: Ivana buys into project". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on October 29, 2005.
  31. ↑ Clarke, Norm (July 19, 2006). "Pamela, Kid Rock finally to marry". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on July 20, 2006.
  32. ↑ Trump, Ivana (January 25, 2010). "Bye, Bye Ivana!". Globe. p. 18. Dear Readers: After years of hard work and devoted service as GLOBE's advice columnist, I regretfully have decided to resign from the position. While I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the GLOBE family, as well as the many friendships that I have developed over the years, other business pursuits, both nationally and internationally, will not allow me to devote the attention necessary to the column and to my readers.
  33. ↑ Ivana Trump sues Finnish designer over name:report Reuters
  34. ↑ Celebrity Big Brother: Ivana Trump makes a magical entrance into the house Mail Online, January 9, 2010

External links

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