Ivana Trump's death was accidental: NYC Chief Medical Examiner
NEW YORK - Ivana Trump's death was ruled an accident by the New York City Chief Medical Examiner on Friday.
Trump, the first wife of former President Donald Trump was found dead inside of her Upper East Side home on Thursday. She was 73.
The Medical Examiner said it had determined that her cause of death was blunt impact injuries of her torso.
"Having released this determination, OCME will not comment further on the investigation," the medical examiner's office said.
A spokesperson for the New York City Police Department told Fox News on Thursday that Ivana Trump was found unconscious "in close proximity" to the bottom of a staircase in her apartment.
The New York City Fire Department responded to a report of a cardiac arrest at Trump's residence on Thursday afternoon, a source told Fox News.
A law enforcement source told Fox News that someone at Trump's residence called police to ask for a wellness check because he hadn't seen her in a while. When authorities arrived, they opened her door and found her at the bottom of the stairs.
"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," Donald Trump posted on Truth Social. "She 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!"
Her son Eric Trump said it was "a very sad day, a very sad day," as he left the home Thursday.
A Czech-born ski racer and businesswoman, Ivana Trump was born Ivana Zelnickova in 1949.
She was married to the former president from 1977 to 1992, and they had three children together: Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric.
The Trumps became a 1980s power couple, and she managed one of his Atlantic City casinos as well as helped with the décor of Trump Tower. Their marriage ended in a messy, public divorce after Donald Trump met his next wife, Marla Maples.
But in recent years, Ivana Trump had been on good terms with her ex-husband. She wrote in a 2017 book that they spoke about once a week.
Her death came during a fraught time for the Trump family. Two of her children, Donald Jr. and Ivanka, as well as the former president were due to appear in the coming days for questioning in the New York attorney general’s civil investigation into the family’s business practices. But the attorney general's office agreed to postpone the depositions — a term for out-of-court questioning under oath — because of Ivana Trump's death.
Ivana Trump had reportedly become reclusive in the last several months, due to the pandemic and her struggles with the death of her ex-husband.
"She hasn't gone anywhere or done anything," said friend Nikki Haskell during an interview with FOX 5 NY morning program, ‘Good Day New York.’ "She was so afraid of getting sick, so she really became very reclusive."