Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Ivana Trump denies accusing ex-husband Donald of rape and suggests he’d make an 'incredible' president

She wants to put the thirty-year-old comments to rest

Chris Mandle
Wednesday 29 July 2015 15:43 BST
Comments
Ivana Trump
Ivana Trump (Getty)

Ivana Trump has formally retracted comments she made alleging her ex-husband Donald raped her and made her 'feel violated during sex'.

Trump made the historic allegations during the pair’s divorce proceedings, but they were included in a 1993 book titled Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J Trump and picked up by The Daily Beast.

She has now rushed to the defence of her ex-husband, blaming ‘a time of very high tension’ for her comments and saying her and Donald are “the best of friends” in a statement:

"I have recently read some comments attributed to me from nearly 30 years ago at a time of very high tension during my divorce from Donald. The story is totally without merit," she said.

"I have nothing but fondness for Donald and wish him the best of luck on his campaign. Incidentally, I think he would make an incredible president."

After the book’s publication, Trump issued a statement saying "I referred to this as a 'rape' but I do not want my words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense."

When The Daily Beast contacted Trump’s lawyer for comment, he rubbished the claims, before making the bizarre proclamation that it’s impossible to rape your spouse, despite the fact marital rape is illegal in all 50 states.

He has since apologised, saying in a statement "I made an inarticulate comment — which I do not believe — and which I apologize for entirely."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in