Why Ivana Trump's Friends Were So Worried Before Her Death

Ivana Trump died at her New York City home on July 14 aged 73 under tragic circumstances. Her family members confirmed her death on social media, including her daughter, Ivanka Trump, who shared a series of old photos to Instagram with the caption, "Heartbroken by the passing of my mother. Mom was brilliant, charming, passionate and wickedly funny. She modeled strength, tenacity and determination in her every action. She lived life to the fullest — never forgoing an opportunity to laugh and dance."

Ivana's two sons with Donald Trump Sr., Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, also took to social media to pay tribute to their mom. "Mom, we will miss you incredibly. Thanks for always pushing us hard, not letting us get away with anything, and instilling so many incredible values and personality traits," the former wrote on Instagram, also praising Ivana's sense of humor. As for Eric, he too shared old family photos on Instagram, writing, "Our mother was an incredible woman — a force in business, a world-class athlete, a radiant beauty, and caring mother and friend. Ivana Trump was a survivor. She fled from communism and embraced this country. She taught her children about grit and toughness, compassion and determination."

But it turns out Donald Sr.'s first wife had friends who were pretty worried in the run-up to her death, as they've admitted they knew there was a chance she could be injured at home.

Ivana Trump's death was caused by blunt force trauma to her torso, the New York City Medical Examiner's Office confirmed. It was ruled an accident and reports claimed Ivana was found deceased and alone at the bottom of the staircase — which at least one friend was already weary of — in her New York City home. "I was always so upset about that staircase. I hated those stairs. They were so treacherous. We worried about her falling," Ivana's friend, Nikki Haskell, told New York Post following her death. Haskell confirmed Ivana had an elevator but preferred to take the stairs, sharing he felt the steps were too steep and dangerous. "Friends used to say to me, 'Why don't you stay with Ivana when you're in New York?' But you couldn't pay me to hang out there and go up and down those stairs."

How Ivana fell hasn't been officially confirmed, though the owner of a New York restaurant she liked to go to, Giuliano Zuliani, spoke about her health to People. He claimed she was struggling to walk prior to her death, saying, "She didn't seem to be in good shape."

Zach Erdem, the owner of another restaurant Ivana liked to frequent, claimed she was having trouble with her hip. "She was going to come two weeks ago, but she was feeling bad... She said she wasn't feeling well," he told New York Post, claiming the pain caused her to stay home.

Ivana Trump had reportedly been urged to see the doctor shortly before her passing, but refused to book an appointment. "She said, 'No, I hate going to doctors. I get more sick going to doctors,'" Zach Erdem, who was friends with the star for around 15 years, told New York Post.

Tragically, Ivana was seemingly expecting to be on vacation on the day that will now host to her funeral. Nikki Haskell explained to Page Six that Ivana had been particularly mindful of her health over the past few years amid the Coronavirus pandemic and had been cautious about where she went, but had planned her first international vacation in around two years for the summer of 2022. Haskell claimed Ivana was set to jet off to St. Tropez in France on July 15, stating, "This was going to be her first trip away since the pandemic. She was afraid of getting the virus."

It's thought the star didn't leave her home much in the final few years of her life, with the pandemic keeping her inside her New York home. "The past couple of years, she became very reclusive," Haskell told New York Post. "She had a big townhouse and she was really afraid of getting the virus, much more so than anybody I know. She didn't want to go anywhere, she didn't want to travel... She took it very, very seriously. She was afraid of getting sick."

It's not clear how much time Ivana Trump was able to spend with her family before her death, though reports have claimed she was still in regular contact with her first husband, Donald Trump, particularly during his time in the White House. "[Ivana] was on the phone with [Donald] all the time," a source claimed to New York Post, describing Ivana as one of her first husband's key advisors during his controversial presidency. Zach Erdem even claimed that Ivana had supposedly made plans to visit the former president, likely at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, following her St. Tropez trip.

Ivana's funeral is scheduled for July 20, with her three children with Donald, Ivanka, Donald Jr., and Eric, all expected to attend, according to People. As for if her first husband will be there to say goodbye, he hasn't publicly confirmed if he'll be attending, though Daily Mail shared candid photos of both Donald and Melania Trump arriving in New York City on July 18 amid reports the funeral will take place in Manhattan.