Donald Trump Jr.’s new wife, Bettina, is confirming that her May wedding weekend celebration was partially funded by a man with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a post on her Instagram page Monday morning signed by the couple, Bettina Trump wrote that the man, Umar Kremlev, was a “dear friend” who “very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding.”
“It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful,” the post continued.
The Report
ProPublica, a nonprofit investigative website, reported earlier Monday that the wedding between Trump Jr. and socialite Bettina Anderson in the Bahamas was heavily funded by Kremlev, a Russian oligarch who heads the International Boxing Association.
ProPublica reported that Kremlev “footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses,” including paying to rent out one of two private islands where the three-day party was held and a fireworks show.
The Couple’s Response
In the post, Bettina Trump said that she and the president’s son were married in a private ceremony “surrounded ONLY by our family.”
“The weekend that followed had actually been planned well in advance as a fun weekend with friends. It was never intended to be our wedding weekend. When our original wedding plans changed, we simply decided to get married before it and arrived at an already planned weekend as newlyweds,” the post said.
“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. 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.”
Who Is Umar Kremlev?
Kremlev was recently honored with the Order of Friendship by Putin, according to the International Boxing Association, and accompanied Putin to China as part of a Russian delegation, according to Chinese state media cited by ProPublica.
The gift comes as Russia remains at war following its invasion of Ukraine and as the president has failed to broker a promised peace deal between the nations.
A History of Scrutiny
Trump Jr. has previously been scrutinized over his Russian ties. During the 2016 campaign, his meeting with Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya in Trump Tower was the subject of intense scrutiny by federal and congressional investigators probing whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to meddle in the election.
The meeting had been billed as an opportunity to discuss potentially incriminating information about the president’s then-Democrat opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton, as part of the Russian government’s efforts to help Trump Jr.’s father win the White House.
The Bottom Line
Donald Trump Jr. and his wife Bettina have confirmed that their May wedding celebration was partially funded by Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch with close ties to Vladimir Putin. ProPublica reported that Kremlev covered hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses, including a private island rental and fireworks. The couple described the funding as a generous gift from a friend. The disclosure comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Trump Jr.’s Russian ties and as the war in Ukraine continues.
