Inside the unconventional childhoods of Ivanka, Eric and Donald Trump Jr.: Donald and Ivana’s kids had play dates with Michael Jackson and Plaza Hotel parties – but got hounded by paparazzi too

Sep 16 , 2021

In her book The Trump Card, Ivanka recalled reporters bombarding her at school during her dad’s affair with Marla Maples, Tiffany Trump’s mum

Donald’s first wife Ivana revealed in her memoir Raising Trump that she ‘avoided play dates like the plague’ while living at Trump Tower in New York in the 80s

Donald Trump’s ex-wife, Ivana Trump, said in her book Raising Trump that despite having nannies, “it wasn’t easy to raise three kids as a full-time working mother”. The Czech-American model, who is reportedly worth US$100 million, helped Donald run The Trump Organization in the 80s.

These anecdotes from her book about her children – Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka – when they were younger show that theirs was certainly an unconventional upbringing …

Michael Jackson came over for play dates

An old family photo of the Trumps posing together. Photo: Donald Trump Jr./Facebook

Ivana also admitted that she “avoided play dates like the plague” while they were living at Trump Tower in New York. “The triplex was just too huge and lavish,” she said. And given her recollection of the kids breaking into her humidity and temperature controlled fur vault to use her designer mink, sable and chinchilla coats in games, it’s no wonder.

Michael Jackson with the Trump children at the Trump Hotel located in Mar-a-Lago. Photo: @Fibonacci222/Twitter

But only one visitor could come over any time – and he happened to be a global superstar. “The only person who had an open invitation to come to the triplex for play dates whenever he wanted was Michael Jackson,” she said. Ivana added that she never believed allegations of child sexual abuse against Jackson – who lived in Trump Tower at the time.

Birthday parties were OTT

Ivana Trump shared a family photo of Eric Trump’s sixth birthday party. Photo: @MVYRD/Twitter

Owning hotels had its perks. Ivana shared that when they owned New York’s iconic The Plaza Hotel, catering would set up a dozen tables in meeting rooms and decorate them with balloons and confetti for birthdays. The cakes, she said, were several tiers tall.