Famed journalist Chaunce Hayden sat down with Ivana Trump, who shared insights into her life, including whether she has any regrets about marrying Donald Trump, living with and without wealth, and what the public’s biggest misconception is about themselves .
Hayden is the former editor of Steppin’ Out magazine who has met Ivana several times over the past 20 years. He interviewed the “nice and friendly” Ivana for New York magazine Metropolis Nights in 2016, describing her as “clever as a whip.”
“I see a lot of Ivana in Ivanka. Ivana was many things, but most of all she wants to be remembered as a mother who adored her children,” Hayden said. “She got through tough times with elegance and most of all she was a great mother.”
Ivana Trump died Thursday of suspected cardiac arrest after being found “unconscious and unresponsive” at her New York City townhouse. She was 73.
Here recaps the 2016 interview.
Ivana Trump died Thursday of suspected cardiac arrest after being found “unconscious and unresponsive” at her New York City townhouse. She was 73
Star journalist Chaunce Hayden sat down with Ivana Trump for an interview for New York magazine Metropolis Nights in 2016
“Everything I’ve done I would do again, including getting married because it’s life and like life things go up and down,” Ivana said in the interview, quashing rumors that she married Donald for wealth have
“Ivana was many things, but I think most of all she wants to be remembered as a mother who adores her children,” Hayden said. “She got through tough times with elegance and above all she was a great mother”
Chaunce Hayden: How would you describe yourself?
Ivana Trump: Well, I’m from a small town (laughs), but I’m not from a humble background. Czechoslovakia is a very developed country. I had a fantastic education and lived in a beautiful home.
I did my master’s degree (physical education) at Charles University in Prague and I’ve always traveled the world with my ski team, so it wasn’t like I came up with something from nothing. Another misconception about me that is completely wrong is that I got married for wealth.
Donald was working for his father when I met him. It was a beautiful life, but we were very young kids starting from scratch. People have this notion that when I married Donald, I married this multi-billionaire. But that’s not true at all. We were very young kids starting from scratch.
Hayden: Do you regret marrying Donald?
The interview originally appeared in this issue of Metropolis Nights, which was published after Donald Trump was elected but before he took office
Ivana: Anything I’ve done I would do again, including my marriage, because it’s life and like life things go up and down. Everything is not always wonderful; There will always be disappointments. And again what I had done in my life I would do again.
There are way more women out there in way worse situations than me. Yes I had a bad divorce and yes I didn’t lie down and die; I moved on with my life and turned a negative into a positive against all odds. We are only once in this life.
This is not a dress rehearsal and you just have to get on with your life, no matter how hard it may be.
Hayden: How important is wealth to you and could you survive without it?
Ivana: Well I was there. I come from a middle-class family, but if someone said money is not important, they would be lying. Money is important, but I see money more than anything as a chore.
Yes, money will buy you a nice car and a nice home, but it won’t make you happy, that’s for sure. Money can cause many problems. Many families with money have children who slip up and get involved in drugs.
So money is good in that it makes your life easier, but if I didn’t have money I would still make it.
I would always make enough money for my children and my mother to survive. Because how many cars can you drive and how many steaks can you eat.
Ivana said money is a problem, adding, “Money is important, but I see money more than anything else as a chore.” She was last pictured on June 22 in New York City
Media gather outside Ivana Trump’s residence Thursday after her death at the age of 73
Hayden: What do you think is the biggest misconception the public has about Ivana Trump?
Ivana: I think that was one of your questions earlier. They said, “Ivana, you came from a communist country and you acquired all this incredible wealth.”
I think that’s the biggest misconception. I didn’t marry for incredible wealth. When I got married I was about 27 and Donald was about 31 and working for his father.
But his father is a good man and he didn’t just give him lots of money and say go have a good time and do what you want with it. Donald had to earn his salary. So what he has, he deserves.
I think a lot of people think that we both just got all that wealth. That is not true. We both worked very hard to acquire everything we have.