Ivana Trump was reclusive in recent months and struggled with ex-husband's death, says socialite friend

NEW YORK - Ivana Trump, who died suddenly inside her Upper East Side home at the age of 73, was reclusive in recent months due to the pandemic and was struggling with the death of her ex-husband, according to friend Nikki Haskell.

"She hasn't gone anywhere or done anything," said Haskell during an interview with FOX 5 NY morning program, ‘Good Day New York.’ "She was so afraid of getting sick, so she really became very reclusive."

The longtime friends were only a day away from meeting in St. Tropez for a vacation involving a larger group of friends.

"She was overwhelmed with a lot of different things. Of course, her ex-husband passed away earlier this year which was quite devastating for her. I think that just being alone sort of set its mark with how difficult it is when you are alone."

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Trump's cause of death had not yet been released.

"She was in good health. She wasn't sick, but she wasn't at the top of her form. I think she took the death of her divorced husband, Rosanno Rubicondi, quite hard. That was several months ago. She hadn't really come out of it that strong but she had gotten much better."

Trump, the first wife of former U.S. President Donald Trump, was a skier-turned-businesswoman who formed half of the publicity power couple of the 1980s.

"She was a devoted mother. She was a powerhouse," added Haskell.