Donald Trump Jr.’s second wife fired back on Monday at a report that their extravagant wedding in the Bahamas was underwritten by a Russian oligarch.
In a post on Instagram, Bettina Trump (formerly Anderson) called the report “fake news” in true Trump fashion, while at the same time admitting that Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev, a close associate of Vladimir Putin, expended a substantial amount of money on the proceedings.
According to the report from ProPublica, “Kremlev footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses, according to records reviewed by ProPublica and interviews with three people familiar with the event. The oligarch paid to rent out one of the private islands, where a reception was held and where guests slept. He also covered other big-ticket items, like the fireworks show, and his team helped plan the event.”
On Instagram, Bettina Trump, a Palm Beach socialite with a brief career as a model in her past, insisted there was nothing untoward about a non-family member underwriting the lavish event.
"Our dear friend Umar very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding," she wrote, adding it was "an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful."
"It's unfortunate that something so personal and happy can be recast as something political or sinister simply because of who someone is or where they come from," she wrote. "Friendship doesn't require a political motive. Generosity doesn't automatically come with an agenda. And sometimes a wedding gift is simply a wedding gift."
Accusing Pro Publica of manufacturing "fake news," she insisted, "NO CONSPIRACY, NO MYSTERY,” and added, “Just a private family wedding, a wonderful weekend with family and friends and a hell of a weekend. Since fake news travels fast, we figured the truth deserved a few pictures.”