Introduction

 

Society Divas

Ivana Trump

Beautiful. Brilliant. Multi-lingual. Prize winning athlete. Award winning author. Self-made woman. There are no words of praise high enough to describe this modern day Saint. Escaping from a dreary, communist Czechoslovakia, she managed to marry one of the richest men of the 80s, and is now one the most successful entrepreneurs in American history.

Those searching for salacious gossip about this great woman need look elsewhere, we are afraid, for this will be nothing more than a love letter to the High Priestess of Society. Make no mistake, there will be sordid tales told on these pages, but it will be of scandal caused by others, and not this paragon of virtue. She, above all others, is the definition of class. Ivana the good. Ivana the pure. Ivana the Survivor. Ivana Forever!

Born into slavery behind the Iron Curtain, with her first cry of life Ivana told the world to prepare itself for something special. At an early age, her tremendous athletic gifts were recognized by her parents; it is unfortunate that they had been so thoroughly indoctrinated in the ways of the Evil Empire, as they knew of nothing else but to send her to a special communist training school, where she would master the language of Lenin, as well as learning to ski - her ultimate ticket out of that cruel, eastern European society.

Learning quickly that active resistance was futile, Ivana mastered the art of skiing, and competed on the national ski team of Czechoslovakia, as well as earning the first of her University degrees, for physical education at Charles University.

Having the good fortune to meet and marry George Syrovatka, a westerner with a Canadian passport, Ivana managed to flee her dreary communist existence; and she moved to Montreal, where she helped her new husband run his ski shop. Always supportive of the men in her life, Ivana was thrilled at the chance to finally live the western dream, with a fine husband, a comfortable home, and a picket fence to mark the boundaries of her free territory. This was finally the liberty she had always craved. But something was missing.

Blessed her entire life with beauty unsurpassed, Ivana yearned to make more of herself than she had been allowed in Czechoslovakia, and determined to become a model. George, though a kind man, feared losing this incredible creature. He finally abandoned her, out of anxiety that he could never be good enough. Poor Ivana, stunned at this rejection, simply immersed herself in her work - a trait that would later help her through some of the worst hours of her life.

Quickly finding employment with Canada's top modeling agency, Ivana landed the plum assignment of promoting the 1976 Montreal Olympics, and was flown to New York for the first leg of the promotional tour. At a crowded, swanky night club, an apologetic headwaiter was forced to tell the stricken lass that there were no tables available for her - when a mysterious stranger suddenly appeared, and arranged for her to receive the best table in the club. That stranger was Donald Trump, AKA The Donald.

The Donald, one of the richest, canniest real estate tycoons in modern American history, was relentless in his pursuit of the fabulous Ivana. He did everything in his considerable power to turn her head, eventually convincing her of the honor of his intentions; making her his wife, and a Princess for America in every respect except the title.

Married life for the Trumps began smoothly and with much joy. Shortly after the marriage - a little less than 9 months later - their first child was born, The Donald, Jr. Within five years, two others followed, Ivanka and Eric. Ivana now had it all - except that dashed career. Being a mother was the most fulfilling role this modern day Madonna could have found, but for some women, simple motherhood isn't enough of a challenge. While she never for one moment forgot her profound duties as mother and example to her children, she was brilliant enough to realize that the children would respect a mother more who had made an impact on the world, and actively helped to improve the circumstances of those less fortunate. Thus, she began to work for Trump Industries as decorator for The Donald's many beautiful luxury hotel properties in America, including the Hyatt Hotel in New York; Trump Towers; and Trump Castle and Casino, in Atlantic City. Still, it wasn't enough.

At the height of the financial boom in the late 1980s, The Donald managed to pull off the ultimate business coup: he purchased the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Ivana immediately knew that this was the dream job she had been waiting for. Having proved herself many times over, she was able without effort to convince her husband that she would be perfect to act as Chief Executive Officer of this fabled hotel. Not having money worries, the madcap couple drew up a contract, stipulating that the beautiful Ivana would be paid 1 dollar a year, and all the evening gowns she could buy. The Donald got off cheap. As has previously been stated, he was a good businessman.

These were the happiest years - up 'til this point - in this incredible creature's life. Her children were happy and thriving, business was going well, and she had a husband who loved and respected her - as long as she overlooked certain flaws.

Though indeed brilliant at business, The Donald was a sort of idiot savant. He had very little social grace, and seemed to know nothing but the Art Of The Deal. His wife's intellectual prowess - especially at languages - was a threat to him, and he would frequently criticize her English, even though she spoke more than 5 languages, and he spoke but one. Some men just can't stand to have their women shine more brightly than they do themselves. Saint Ivana merely overlooked his many crucial defects, for the sake of the children. After all, she still had so much more than she'd had behind the Iron Curtain, and at least her man was faithful...

Enter a certain Marla Maples. The name alone should indicate to the reader just what kind of a person she is. Born to the wrong side of the tracks, Miss Maples realized early in life that a little peroxide and a tight dress would help her move up the social ladder that had proved so slippery in her past. Meeting The Donald at a social function, she was quickly able to insinuate herself into his affections, even knowing that he was married to America's Sweetheart and had three children who depended on him. The Donald, it must be said, did not offer much resistance. Even a diet of caviar and champagne becomes dull to one without subtlety or substance, and who thinks that life is a banquet arranged just for his pleasure.

At first, the cheating, illicit lovers were discreet. The Donald may have had no character, but he was a coward when it came to confronting his wife. Ivana, so busy slaving away to build her husband's empire, noticed nothing amiss at first. Then, she began to see certain signs: an empty bed, lipstick on his collars - all the things that can easily shred a vulnerable heart such as hers. She chose to look away - once again, for the sake of the children.

1989 was not a happy year for Ivana. While on a family ski vacation in Aspen, the Maples woman determined to publicly humiliate our tragic heroine, and skied over to her on the slopes. In full view of reporters and photographers, the hussy disclosed the sordid affair she was having with Ivana's husband, and told her to give up the fight. Ivana, her breeding put to the ultimate test, merely turned her head and skied away. Nothing has been reported of the confrontation between the married couple, but The Donald soon after left Ivana in the lurch, and continued his backstreet affair in the pages of the boulevard press. Ivana could no more look away, and lawyers were summoned.

The divorce trial was the pinnacle of the excessive eighties. A laundry list of sins was read, and The Evil Donald did all in his power to cheat his wife a second time, this time financially. Though she received a settlement of 20 million dollars, anyone with the most basic knowledge of the real world could see in a flash that it would not be enough to support this Crown Jewel of a woman in the style which she deserved. The limousine for the poodles alone, which they used for their daily visits to the hairdresser, was more than $2,000 a month. Ivana would have to find work again, and this time on her own.

Supremely wounded by this incredible betrayal, which nobody could have predicted, Ivana suffered terribly the first few months. She could feel the constant stares of the public when she stepped out of her auto, and the whispers behind her back when she lunched at Le Cirque. She knew what people were saying: that she was a has been; that her husband had dumped her for another woman, and that the best was over. But the Indefatigable Ivana showed the world that the The Best Is Yet To Come.

Not knowing what else to do, Ivana decided at last to put her ghosts to rest. Sharpening her quill, she began to write about her sorrow in a thinly disguised novel, Free To Love, which left nothing unrevealed. She wasn't angry anymore. She had finally realized that the ultimate revenge was living well. As she herself said, "Don't get mad, get everything!" She may not have gotten all the money she deserved, but she won the final battle, as The Donald's business and new marriage to the hussy Maples foundered in short order. Ivana's book was a triumph, both critically and financially, and she could feel the new found respect from the American people, whom she had always strove so hard to lead. Another book - a self-help manual for newly divorced women - soon followed, and Ivana was her old self again ... though without a man.

Divorce is a scarring wound for anybody, and even the most brilliant intellectuals sometimes make the mistake of entering a "rebound relationship", if only so that they can feel alive once more. Plucky Ivana was no exception. She met a man, Ricardo Mazzucchelli, whom she thought would be both her soul mate and a soothing balm for her wounded heart. She was wrong. Their marriage lasted less than 2 years before the swain realized that he could not live in this glamorous, talented creature's shadow. His departure is something that can still make her fragile soul cry.

Immersing herself once again in her craft, Ivana decided next to begin a fashion house that would cater to the women of the world who admired her so. Designing her own jewelry, Ivana began appearing on the Home Shopping Channels; and now flies around the world promoting her various lines, as well as dispensing sound advice to emotionally injured men and women seeking comfort. Her charity knows no bounds.

Ivana now is once again on the top of the world. Her fashion line is thriving, as are her wonderful children - the greatest reward for years of suffering with The Donald. She has just begun a lifestyle magazine, and is determined to unseat Martha Stewart as the Queen of Better Living. Love has come her way again, in the form of Count Roffredo Gaetanni, a gentleman of Italian lineage and a former boxer. Traveling between their 6 homes, Ivana works tirelessly at her business, managing to maintain her beautiful female form with rigorous exercise sessions with 3 different trainers. She supports teen athletics, and travels constantly, speaking at gatherings to impart her message of love and self-reliance to a grateful world. The greatest question on our minds is now: What's next? The chameleon like angel who has now blessed our lives for almost 25 years is the only one who knows. But whatever it is, it'll be a doozy! 

(Written by Jeff Woloson)

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