NEW YORK -- Ivana Trump was freed Thursday from husband Donald and ostensibly from a gag agreement, but the developer's attorney insisted she was still bound not to talk or write about him.
State Supreme Court Judge Phyllis Gangel-Jacob confirmed that she signed a decree of divorce for the Trumps Wednesday at a closed courtroom session, with the decree becoming official Thursday.
The judge said she also signed an order modifying the original terms of the divorce agreement at the request of Ivana's attorney, Michael Kennedy, an action she described as a 'supplemental judgment.'
Kennedy described Gangel-Jacob's modification as a setting aside of paragraphs 9 and 10 in the Trumps' March 22 divorce settlement.
The paragraphs barred Ivana from publishing or telecasting without Trump's prior consent 'any diary, memoir, letter, story, photograph, interview, article essay, account or description or depiction of any kind whatsoever ... concerning her marriage to Donald or any other aspect of Donald's personal, business or financial affairs.'
Gangel-Jacob made the ruling after hearing arguments from Kennedy that the paragraphs abridged his client's constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech.
However, Trump's attorney, Jay Goldberg, claimed the judge's action 'in no way rewrote Mrs. Trump's contract with Mr. Trump -- nor did the court's action in any way excuse Mrs. Trump from any prohibitons against discussing Mr. Trump's affairs or liability for breach of her contract.'
Goldberg insisted that Gangel-Jacob deleted the contractual obligation from the final divorce decree only 'so that Mrs. Trump would not be in contempt of court if she violated her contractual provisions.'
Goldberg disclosed last week that the financially fading real estate tycoon planned to cut off Ivana's $350,000-a-year alimony payment and a $50,000 annual housing allowance, and sue her for damages for appearing on ABC's '20-20' television show May 10.
Trump objected to Ivana's discussion with Barbara Walters of the breakup of her marriage over her husband's affair with model Marla Maples. He charged Ivana with 'deliberate and material breaches' of her contract and threatened to sue her and Walters for damages, citing Walters as an accessory.
Ivana struck back through Kennedy, who claimed her televised comments were protected by the constitutional guarantees of free speech.
'Her comments to Barbara Walkters were fair expressions of personal opinions to which all Americans are entitled under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,' Kennedy said.
In another development, Ivana has told friends she is working on a novel. She is still working for Trump as president of the Hotel Plaza and was seen with her new boyfriend, California inventor Ken Lieberman, three nights running so far this week -- at a Carnegie Hall concert, a performance of 'The Will Rogers Follies' and at a charity ball at the Plaza.
She already has received a $10 million lump sum settlement and a mansion in Connecticut from Trump, who also agreed to pay her $4 million more if he ever wishes to reclaim the triplex Trump Tower apartment she currently occupies. He also is paying child support.
