Ivanka Trump Was Asked To Be ‘The Bachelorette’ By ABC Before Marrying Jared Kushner
The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are two of the hottest shows on television — and they very nearly had a surprising addition to their lineup of hopeful romantics. According to a recently unearthed interview, first daughter Ivanka Trump was once asked to star on The Bachelorette.
As reported by Page Six, Donald Trump’s eldest daughter was approached by ABC during her single days to see if she’d like to take a shot at finding love. In an interview with People back in 2007, the businesswoman admitted that she’d considered turning to the popular show to find the man of her dreams.
“I’ve been offered tons of shows, [including] The Bachelorette,” Trump said during the interview. “I’m flattered, but that in no way furthers my objective of being a great real estate developer.” At the time, Trump was 25 years old, and technically single. ABC producers thought it would be a great way to gain publicity for their show, and expand the Trump name across the network.
But while The Bachelorette didn’t sync up with Trump’s vision for her future, that didn’t keep the eldest Trump daughter away from the small screen. Ivanka was a regular guest on Donald Trump’s show Celebrity Apprentice in 2008, offering critiques and advice to would-be business moguls.
Ivanka Trump could have been The Bachelorette but instead she is First Daughter https://t.co/D3jQRHajs8 pic.twitter.com/ZTqAGINCZ7
— Jezebel (@Jezebel) January 8, 2019
Although Ivanka opted to skip out on the famous rose ceremony, it turns out she didn’t need ABC’s help when it came to finding true love. Trump met businessman Jared Kushner at a networking lunch set up by her father, and the rest is history. “They very innocently set us up thinking that our only interest in one another would be transactional,” Ivanka said. “Whenever we see them we’re like, ‘The best deal we ever made!'”
But the days of reality television in all of its forms are now behind the first daughter. She’s since gone on to build a vast business empire — in addition to working closely with her father in the political arena. Both she and Kushner worked on Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, where she proved a passionate defender of her father’s ideas and policies.
In the 2007 interview, Ivanka demonstrated her loyalty to Donald Trump — even in the face of controversy. When asked about his now-infamous feud with television star Rosie O’Donnell, Ivanka Trump made sure everyone knew who she was backing.
“I defend my father when I think he’s right,” she said. “And in this case, I do.”
Trump and Kushner wed in 2009. Since then, both have gone on to work at the White House in advisory roles. The power couple shares three children together: daughter Arabella, 7 — and sons Joseph, 5, and and Theodore, 2.
