The Biggest Rumors About Jared Kushner To Ever Hit The Internet
Jared Kushner isn't exactly a Hollywood A-lister — though his bizarre cameo on "Gossip Girl" might make you think twice — but he sure knows how to grab headlines. From controversies with a hint of truth to outright hearsay, the former White House advisor has become prime tabloid fodder.
He probably knew the spotlight was part of the deal when he married Ivanka Trump. Kushner became a public figure when they tied the knot and even more so when he took on the role of advisor to his father-in-law, former President Donald Trump. Since then, he's been the subject of countless rumors, including speculation that his marriage to Ivanka was on the rocks. In January 2023, a source told Radar that the couple was teetering toward divorce, with Donald being the main point of contention. "It's all falling apart. They're always fighting and can barely contain their growing animosity for each other even when they appear in public," the insider said. "Jared recognized Donald had become radioactive, and he pushed Ivanka to abandon her father for the sake of their own reputations and the future of their children."
But the rumors about Kushner don't stop at his marriage. The gossip mill is rife with all things Kushner, from speculation of him overdoing it with Botox to engaging in shady deals with investors.
Jared Kushner was rumored to have gotten Botox
First on the list is, of course, one of the juiciest. Jared Kushner might not have a face that's burned into your memory, but you've got to admit, he's got that unnervingly smooth, baby-like complexion down on lock. Even John Oliver can't help but marvel at it. On "Last Week Tonight," Oliver puzzled over Kushner's mysterious skincare routine, asking, "Where are the bags under his eyes? How is his skin so smooth?" he questioned. "It is deeply worrisome how unworried he looks. The only way you maintain that glow with that to-do list is by not really understanding anything on it."
Fans are equally baffled, with many convinced there's only one explanation for his flawless skin: Botox. One fan tweeted, "Why does Jared Kushner look so unsettlingly disgusted every time he speaks? ...I think it's the overdone Botox." Another speculated, "The Trumps are out of the White House yet I still can't get out of my head the most inscrutable things Kushner ever did: botoxing out his dimples and getting eyelid surgery to look more like a man haunted by profound guilt."
We may never know if Kushner is a fan of the knife or just shares a skincare routine with his wife. What we do know is that he's a big fan of exfoliation — exfoliating his friends, that is. In a Forbes interview, the former White House adviser dished that he's not afraid to cut off pals who oppose Trump. "I call it an exfoliation," he said. "Anyone who was willing to change a friendship or not do business because of who somebody supports in politics is not somebody who has a lot of character." Okay then!
He and Ivanka apparently ditched Donald Trump to prevent further tarnishing their reputation
Since 2021, Jared Kushner has been insisting he's done with politics, concentrating instead on his business. The media, however, won't let up with questions about a potential return, and he has been consistently shutting them down. "I've been very clear that my desire at this phase of my life is to focus on my firm," he divulged to Axios in an interview, adding that he's also been focusing on being a doting dad. "I've really enjoyed the opportunity as a family to be out of the spotlight. Both my wife and myself were working in the White House, which is a 24/7, high-stakes job, and so we both really enjoyed the opportunity to be down here in Florida with the kids."
But if you ask Mary Trump, the real reason Jared and Ivanka left the White House is that they'd already milked it for all it was worth. Plus, staying close to Donald isn't exactly boosting their social standing. "Donald is definitely losing value in terms of the party and in terms of politics generally, and Ivanka and Jared are legitimately wealthy people apart from whatever Donald's doing, so they don't need him to the same degree they might have," she told MSNBC.
Donald, of course, has his own spin on the story, claiming it was he who asked the couple to step back for their own good. "I said, that's enough for the family. You know why? It's too painful for the family," he told Fox News. "Nobody has been through what my family has been through." Who knew he was this family-oriented?
Did Jared earn hundreds of millions while working for the White House?
By milking the White House, we're talking about using the 1600 Pennsylvania clout to rake in some serious cash. According to the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump managed to pocket anywhere between $172 million and $640 million during their tenure as advisors for Donald Trump. This raised a lot of eyebrows, especially since the couple loudly proclaimed they wouldn't take a salary to fend off nepotism accusations. "I will instead serve as an unpaid employee in the White House Office, subject to all of the same rules as other federal employees," Ivanka once said in a statement (via The New York Times).
But apparently, not taking a salary was just a technicality, as the duo kept raking in millions from other ventures. Kushner likely did not feel his net worth dip at all. The Washington Post reported that the couple earned roughly $82 million in outside income, including profits from Trump International Hotel and their real estate businesses. They haven't even denied making this staggering amount of money, but Peter Mirijanian, a spokesman for Abbe Lowell, Kushner and Ivanka's ethics counsel, insisted they played a fair game. "Since joining the administration, Mr. Kushner and Ms. Trump have complied with the rules and restrictions as set out by the Office of Government Ethics," he told the outlet. "As to the current filing which OGE also reviews, their net worth remains largely the same, with changes reflecting more the way the form requires disclosure than any substantial difference in assets or liabilities."
Rumor has it that Jared hasn't stopped securing donors for his father-in-law
What's even more interesting is that despite Jared Kushner's loud proclamations of wanting nothing to do with politics, he's still quietly working behind the scenes for Donald Trump's campaign, at least when it comes to lining up donors. According to Reuters, Kushner sweet-talked potential donors to attend a May 2024 fundraiser for his father-in-law — a fundraiser co-hosted by his parents, Charles and Seryl. "He has called a few people," a source said, but per Kushner's camp, there's nothing malicious about this at all. "Jared supports his father-in-law and is happy to connect the many people who get in touch with him looking to help the campaign," his spokesperson noted.
In late 2023, Kushner pulled another string by securing Donald an interview with Spanish-language network Univision, which the former president had previously dubbed "a leftist propaganda machine and a mouthpiece of the Democrat Party," according to The Washington Post. It was all thanks to Kushner's cozy relationship with a Univision executive that the network even considered giving Donald some air time.
Clearly, Kushner isn't exactly walking the talk, as he can't seem to peel away from the political scene completely. He even went public with his top wish: to see his father-in-law back in the Oval Office. "My hope and prayers are that President Trump is reelected and that he's able to then restore calm and peace and prosperity to the world," he shared on the "Lex Fridman Podcast," whatever that means.
He was also hit with corruption accusations
Jared Kushner wasn't bluffing when he said that he would focus more of his time and energy on his investment firm. However, his efforts have been heavily scrutinized, especially after scoring a whopping $2 billion investment from a fund owned by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman just six months after relinquishing his post at the White House.
Multiple people suspected that it was a form of corruption, with Ben Rhodes, a former deputy national security advisor to Barack Obama, telling MSNBC that the investment had an ulterior motive. "The Saudis didn't make a $2 billion investment because they trusted in Jared Kushner's investment expertise," he said. "They're making an investment on what they think he can do for them if there is a second Trump term." Law professor Kathleen Clark, a government ethics expert, echoed this sentiment to The New York Times, stating, "The reason this smells so bad is that there is all sorts of evidence he did not receive this on the merits," she said.
Kushner, of course, insists that his investment dealings is completely separate from his government service. "If you ask me about the work that we did in the White House, for my critics, what I say is point to a single decision we made that wasn't in the interest of America," he said at an Axios-sponsored summit and went on to express trust in doing business with the Saudi Prince. (via CBS News). "I know the person who I dealt with. I think he's a visionary leader. I think what he's done in that region is transformational."