Strange Things About Ivanka Trump That Everyone Ignores

As Donald Trump's second born, Ivanka Trump had a unique and unconventional childhood that continued well into her adult years. This resulted in more than a few strange things about Ivanka and her life that are either unknown or ignored.

For instance, the eyebrow-raising things Donald has said about his daughter can definitely be filed under "P" for peculiar. Rather than being proud of her Ivy League education and business smarts, Donald chooses to focus on Ivanka's physical attributes with infamously cringe results. "She's six feet tall, she's got the best body," he told Howard Stern in 2003. "She's actually always been very voluptuous," he boasted in a 2004 follow-up appearance.

While Ivanka has always been a fierce defender of her dad, no matter how bizarre or inappropriate his remarks, their relationship may not be as close as it once was judging by the shade in Ivanka's 2024 Father's Day shoutout. In a move that's sure to have put Donald's nose out of joint, she failed to namecheck him in her generic message. But an unorthodox relationship with Donald isn't the only odd thing in Ivanka's life. There are the weird things about Ivanka and Jared Kushner's marriage, such as their business-like relationship, their insistence on always holding hands in public, and their off-camera coldness. All of that just scratches the surface, though, as we look at some other curious things about Ivanka Trump.

Ivanka Trump built a business empire with her namesake fashion line. She also headed up the Ivanka Trump lifestyle brand, where she posted inspirational articles and clothing promos. However, her real name isn't Ivanka; it's Ivana, the same as her late mother. "My actual name is Ivana. In Czech, Ivanka is the baby name for Ivana, like Bobby is to Robert," she explained on X, formerly Twitter.

Ivanka was close to her mom, and she was "heartbroken" when Ivana died in July 2022. "Mom was brilliant, charming, passionate, and wickedly funny," Ivanka posted on X alongside a photo of herself as a child embracing Ivana. "She lived life to the fullest — never forgoing an opportunity to laugh and dance. I will miss her forever and will keep her memory alive in our hearts always."

Ivanka credited Ivana with instilling her drive to succeed, and she paid tribute in her book "Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success." Ivanka called Ivana "the most capable woman I know." She recalled visiting construction sites with her mom as a child, watching her inspect building work in her makeup, glamorous suits, and heels. Ivanka praised Ivana for her ability to juggle her hectic work and home life and always find time to care for her kids. "By example, she taught me to define success on my own terms, to set my own priorities, and to be true to my values," Ivanka wrote.

Ivanka Trump attended Choate Rosemary Hall boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut. "Choate provides students with transformative and meaningful experiences that instill lifelong habits of learning, leadership, and service, shaped by innovative and passionate educators," the school's website boasts.

At first glance, Ivanka seemed like a regular, run-of-the-mill posh girl. She shared a dorm room with a friend, Alice Hopkins, which was featured in a photo spread for Seventeen magazine in 1998. The walls were covered in the usual teen fare of moody black-and-white French movie posters, pop stars, and ... Donald Trump. "Some people might be surprised that I'm a normal teenager," Ivanka said.

However, in reality, she was far from a typical teenager. Refinery 29 noted that Ivanka had a cellphone (still a rarity for kids in the 1990s) and a car on campus to chauffeur her to Manhattan for modeling gigs. Ivanka was signed to Elite Model Management and scored her first gig at 14. She booked a denim campaign for Tommy Hilfiger, a spread in Elle, a cover for Seventeen, and walked designer runways worldwide. Ivanka told GQ in April 2007 that she learned a vital lesson at school. "You know, the media is vicious; they're brutal," Ivanka said, explaining she was hounded by paps hanging at her school gates. "It taught me not to trust anyone. You can never let your guard down, and I never really have since that time."

Ivanka Trump and Chelsea Clinton had one of the most surprising bipartisan relationships ever. Given Donald Trump's vicious attacks on Hillary Clinton, including calls to "Lock her up!" during the 2016 election, it was remarkable for the two women to be even on speaking terms, let alone maintain a friendship. Still, their parents weren't always at war. "I know [Hillary] very well. She's very talented," Donald told Wolf Blitzer in 2007. "And she has a husband that I also like very much. I think she's going to get the nomination rather easily."

"Friendship is always more important than politics. I learned that growing up, watching my parents be friends with people across the political spectrum in Arkansas," Chelsea told People in September 2015. "We're both incredibly supportive of our parents, as we should be," Ivanka said in July 2016.

However, after Donald shockingly defeated Hillary and began his controversial stint in the White House, Ivanka and Chelsea's relationship ultimately became collateral damage. "I've not spoken to her since 2016," Chelsea told "Today" in October 2020. "I have no interest in being friends with someone who is not only complicit but actively taking part in this administration's everyday collision of cruelty and incompetence."

Ivanka Trump acknowledges that being Donald Trump's daughter comes with advantages; however, she seriously minimizes how many and how powerful those advantages are. "I think as you look at people across the spectrum of experience, and just, you know, position in terms of the situation that they have been born into, I think that you know, in life, everyone is confronted with a host of opportunities," Ivanka told the Personal Branding Blog in March 2010. "It's just whether or not they recognize those opportunities and whether or not they pursue them."

She expanded on the subject in her 2009 self-help book, "The Trump Card." Ivanka compared herself to other rich kids, explaining that she worked hard for her money, unlike those who "tapped their toes and tapped their kegs and tapped their parents' patience and best intentions waiting for some far-off day when they might gain control of their pot of gold."

Ivanka also likes to paint herself as a woman of the people. She wrote about taking subways in her twenties. She took one to Brooklyn on Labor Day as part of a trial run for her upcoming commute to a new job at Forest City Ratner Company. Ivanka's street creds are somewhat diminished, though, when she shared she'd had to cut her vacay in the Hamptons a day short to get back to the city.

Another way that Ivanka Trump stands out from many other rich kids is her devotion to domestic duties. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, have an $800 million fortune between them. Still, Donald Trump's daughter apparently has no problem getting down on her knees and scrubbing out the oven. "#LifeHacks: Tricks for looking like a domestic goddess (even when you're pressed for time)," Ivanka wrote on X in June 2016, along with a link to a post on her blog. Among the pearls of wisdom were techniques for keeping your closet tidy and advice on how to "make your tiny apartment feel (almost!) palatial."

Not everyone is buying Ivanka's everywoman persona, though. In February 2019, Flashpoint Gallery in Washington D.C. featured a performance art piece by Jennifer Rubell titled "Ivanka Vacuuming." For two hours, you could observe Rubell, as Ivanka, cleaning a carpet in stilettos. Spectators were invited to "throw crumbs onto the carpet, watching as Ivanka elegantly vacuums up the mess, her smile never wavering."

The former first daughter is somewhat of an art connoisseur, but she was decidedly unimpressed by the homage. "Women can choose to knock each other down or build each other up. I choose the latter," she posted on X.