U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 first wife, Ivana, and his current one, Melania, have become embroiled in a spat over the title of first lady.

Ivana Trump sparked the war of words in an interview with ABC News, during which she jokingly suggested she was the first lady because she was Trump鈥檚 first wife.

鈥淚 have a direct number to the White House, but I don鈥檛 really want to call him there because Melania is there, and I don鈥檛 want to cause any kind of jealousy or something like that,鈥� she said in the interview. 鈥淏ecause I鈥檓 basically first Trump wife, okay? I鈥檓 first lady, okay?鈥�

First Lady Melania Trump鈥檚 spokesperson fired back at Ivana in a statement, calling her comments 鈥渁ttention-seeking and self-serving noise鈥� from an 鈥渆x.鈥�

鈥淢rs. Trump is honoured by her role as First Lady of the United States,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淪he plans to use her title to help children, not sell books.鈥�

Ivana made the remark while discussing her new book, 鈥淩aising Trump,鈥� in which she describes raising Trump鈥檚 three eldest children, Ivanka, Eric and Donald Jr.

The feud between Trump鈥檚 first and third wives (he was also married to Marla Maples for five years) set off a flurry of chatter on social media, where many compared the situation to a reality TV show.

Donald and Ivana Trump were married for 15 years before splitting over Trump鈥檚 affair with model Marla Maples. Trump divorced Ivana in 1992 and married Maples the following year, shortly after she gave birth to his fourth child, Tiffany. Trump and Maples split in 1997 and divorced in 1999.

Donald married Melania Trump in 2005, a year before she gave birth to his youngest son, Barron.