Ivana Trump, a professional skier-turned-businesswoman who formed half of a publicity power couple in the 1980s as the first wife of former US President Donald Trump and mother of his eldest children, passed away in New York City on Thursday the family confirmed. She was 73 years old.

The former president announced on his social media app that she passed away at her residence in Manhattan.

He posted on Truth Social, "She was a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman who led a great and inspiring life." The couple shared three children: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric.

"She was equally as proud of them as we were of her," he wrote. "May You Rest In Peace, Ivana!"

According to two sources familiar with the situation, authorities are examining whether Ivana Trump went down the steps and believed her death was accidental.

According to the witnesses, she was discovered unconscious near a stairway at the property. People who talked to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were unable to discuss the topic publicly. The office of the medical examiner will determine the official cause of death.

Eric Trump stated as he left his mother's apartment building near Central Park, "It's been a very sad day."

In a statement, he and his siblings referred to her as "an extraordinary woman — a business powerhouse, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty and a caring mother and friend" and a survivor.

"She fled communism and embraced our nation," the three stated in a joint statement. She instilled in her children resilience and tenacity, compassion, and resolve.

Ski racer and model of Czech descent, she met the future president in the 1970s and described him in a 2017 book as "smart and funny — an all-American good guy." The couple tied the knot in 1977.

She became an icon in her own right, with her trademark beehive hairstyle oozing with '80s style and elegance. In one episode of the iconic British sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous," the over-the-top Patsy Stone praised Ivana as "terrific" due to her effect on Patsy's look.

Trump would eventually feature in the 1996 hit film "The First Wives Club" with the now-famous line, "Ladies, you must be strong and independent, and remember: don't get angry, get everything."

The Trumps became romantic and business partners. She oversaw one of his Atlantic City casinos and contributed to Trump Tower being a symbol of 1980s prosperity (or excess, to some).

According to Donald Trump historian Wayne Barrett, she overruled the architects to have a 60-foot waterfall constructed in the atrium of Trump Tower, and she traveled to an Italian quarry to select the rosy-beige Breccia Perniche marble that famously covers its flooring.

Former Trump Organization employee Barbara Res, who oversaw the development of the skyscraper, recalls Ivana assisting the decorator and taking a keen interest in such things as the doorkeepers' uniforms.

Res stated, "She did everything to impress Donald and gain his approval." "She was always moving back and forth and abandoning her children. She had an exceptional work ethic."

Before their equally prominent and bitter divorce in 1992, the two were staples of New York's see-and-be-seen scene. Donald Trump had met Marla Maples, his future wife.

Ivana Trump writes in her autobiography, "I was unable to turn on the television without hearing my name."

During their divorce in the early 1990s, Ivana Trump made an affidavit accusing Donald Trump of rape. She then clarified that she did not mean it literally but felt violated.

Donald Trump would express remorse that Ivana had joined him in business and blame it for the dissolution of their marriage.

In the early 1990s, he told ABC News, "I believe that having a wife work is a very dangerous thing." "If you're in business for yourself, I think it's a terrible idea to hire your wife," he remarked, noting that when she became a businesswoman, "her softness disappeared."

Ivana remained ultimately cordial with her ex-husband, whom she infamously referred to as "The Donald." She strongly supported his 2016 White House bid, stating that he would "make major changes" in the United States, and told the New York Post that she was offering him campaign advice.

She stated, "We speak before and after appearances, and he asks my opinion." She told him to "remain more composed."

"However, Donald cannot be calm," she continued. "He's quite outspoken. He simply states the facts."

However sympathetic she was, she occasionally raised some eyebrows.

In 2017, when marketing her book, she claimed to "Good Morning America" that she spoke with the then-president every two weeks and had his direct White House number but didn't want to call too often due to the presence of the then-first lady Melania Trump.

"I don't want to cause jealousy or anything similar because I'm the first Trump wife, okay?" Ivana started with a chuckle. "I'm the first lady, all right?"

The representative for Melania Trump at the time commented that there was "clearly no substance to this statement from an ex-boyfriend; this is regrettably attention-seeking and self-serving noise." In 2018, Ivana Trump promoted an Italian weight-loss diet plan.

"Health is the most valuable asset we possess. "Let's maintain the status quo," she stated.

Her passing occurred during a tough week for the Trump family. The former president and two of her children, Donald Jr., and Ivanka, are scheduled to appear in the coming days for questioning in the civil probe of the family's business dealings by the New York attorney general.

Ivana Trump was born Ivana Zelnickova in 1949 in the Czechoslovak city of Gottwaldov, previously Zlin, which had been renamed by the Communists following their 1948 takeover of the country.

She was previously married to the Italian actor Rossano Rubicondi. After a year of marriage, the couple separated in 2009. Still, they continued to see one other intermittently until 2019, when she told the New York Post that the relationship had run its course. He died of cancer at age 49 last year.