Ivana Trump's Rape Allegation Against Donald Trump — Deposition Testimony
Ivana Trump's deposition account described a violent sexual assault during their marriage: Trump had been infuriated by the pain from a scalp surgery and, Ivana said, tore out her hair, pinned her to the bed, and raped her. The account appeared in Harry Hurt III's 'Lost Tycoon' (1993). Ivana issued a statement walking back the word 'rape,' saying she did not use it in a criminal sense but used the word in an 'emotional, not literal sense.' Trump's attorney Michael Cohen, when the account was reported in the press during the 2016 campaign, threatened a reporter and falsely stated that 'you cannot rape your spouse' — a claim that was wrong under New York law even then.
Record summary
Grade
Grade 4 of 5: Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern
Systematic actions that undermine fundamental constitutional or international legal protections at the structural level. Scale and definitions
- Status
- Concluded
- Incident date
- Record updated
- Location
- New York, NY
- Category
- Civil Rights
- Legal posture
- Reported
- War-crime classification
- Enabling conduct
- Verification
- Cross-referenced
- ICC relevance
- No
- Sources
- 3 cited
- Stable ID
trump-ivana-trump-rape-allegation-deposition- Victims
- Ivana Trump (née Zelníčková)
- Alleged responsible parties
- Donald Trump, Husband; alleged perpetrator— Trump Organization
Key points
- Ivana Trump gave sworn deposition testimony in 1989 describing a violent sexual assault by Donald Trump during their marriage; the account was included in Harry Hurt III's authorized biography 'Lost Tycoon' (1993)
- Ivana's account described Trump being enraged after a painful scalp reduction surgery performed by a doctor she had recommended; she said he tore out her hair, held her down, and penetrated her without consent
- Ivana subsequently issued a statement saying she did not use the word 'rape' in a 'criminal sense' and that her 1993 divorce settlement had included a non-disparagement clause; her original deposition account remained in the record
- When the Daily Beast republished Ivana's account during the 2016 campaign, Trump's attorney Michael Cohen threatened the reporter and falsely stated that 'you cannot rape your spouse' — marital rape had been illegal in New York since 1984
- Ivana Trump died in July 2022; she had maintained a largely positive public relationship with Trump in later years and publicly supported his presidential campaigns
Overview
Ivana Trump gave deposition testimony in 1989 describing a violent sexual assault by Donald Trump during their marriage. The account appeared in Harry Hurt III's 1993 biography of Trump. Ivana later issued a statement modifying her characterization of the word she had used — she did not mean "rape" in a "criminal sense," she said — but the original deposition account was in the record.
The Account
Ivana's account described a specific incident. Trump, she said, had been furious after a scalp reduction surgery performed by a doctor she had recommended; the surgery had been painful. In his rage, she described him tearing out her hair, holding her down, and penetrating her without her consent.
The account in Hurt's biography was based on Ivana's deposition testimony. It was not hearsay or secondhand.
The Clarification
Ivana's subsequent statement used careful language. She said she did not use the word "rape" in a "criminal sense" and that she felt "violated" by the experience but had not pressed charges. Her divorce settlement had included a non-disparagement clause.
The clarification did not retract the underlying events she described. It addressed the legal categorization of what she said had happened.
Michael Cohen's Response
When the account was reported during the 2016 campaign, Trump's attorney Michael Cohen contacted a reporter and threatened legal action. He also stated, as a matter of fact, that "you cannot rape your spouse." This was wrong. New York had criminalized marital rape in 1984. Cohen later apologized for the threat.
The false legal claim — that marital rape does not exist — was made by the man who would later plead guilty to federal crimes committed at Trump's direction.
International law engaged
| Instrument | Provision | What it protects or prohibits |
|---|---|---|
| Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women | Article 2 | State obligation to eliminate acts of gender-based violence against women; marital rape is not exempted under international human rights law |
Update log
-
Updated with Ivana's clarifying statement.
Sequence of events
-
Ivana gives deposition testimony
During divorce proceedings, Ivana gives deposition testimony describing a violent sexual assault by Trump during their marriage. The deposition is later cited in Harry Hurt's biography.
-
'Lost Tycoon' published — Ivana issues clarification
Harry Hurt III publishes 'Lost Tycoon' including Ivana's account. Ivana's attorneys issue a statement on her behalf saying she did not use the word 'rape' in a criminal sense. The divorce settlement included a non-disparagement clause.
-
Daily Beast republishes account during campaign
The Daily Beast republishes Ivana's account as Trump rises in polls. Michael Cohen, Trump's attorney, contacts the reporter with threats and makes the legally false claim that spouses cannot rape each other. Cohen later apologizes for the threat.
Sources
- Ivana Trump: Donald Trump Raped Me — The Daily Beast
- Lost Tycoon and the 1989 rape allegation — The New York Times
- Ivana Trump's account and her later clarification — The Washington Post