A special bond. Wendi Deng Murdoch opened up in a new interview about her friendship with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump.
The actress and film producer, 47, opened up to the Guardian about her close-knit relationship with Ivanka, 34.
“Well, she’s not running for office,” Deng Murdoch — who has not publicly endorsed Donald, 70, or Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton — told the publication. “She’s very impressive. She has three children and she is teaching them Chinese. It’s very nice. We’ve been friendly for many years. I try to separate [the election] from that. She collects art, you know.”
On August 10, Ivanka took to Instagram to gush over her bestie. “@WendiMurdoch is one of those friends that inspires you to work hard, be better and laugh louder,” the shoe designer wrote alongside a stunning photo of Deng Murdoch looking out onto the NYC skyline. "She is a remarkable woman whose story was beautifully told in this month’s @voguemagazine. Be sure to check it out!"
Days later on August 14, the pair traveled through Europe together, a trip which was documented via social media. “Sight seeing with@wendimurdoch in Dubrovnik,” Ivanka captioned a photo of the ladies taking in the beauty of Croatia.
Back in March, Us Weekly exclusively revealed that Deng Murdoch (the ex-wife of billionaire News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch) was dating Russian president Vladimir Putin — the autocratic ruler who Ivanka’s father has sung the praises of throughout his run for the Oval Office.
Last December, Putin, 64, hailed Donald as “bright and talented” and labeled him “the absolute leader of the presidential race” against Clinton, 68. Days later, the ex–Celebrity Apprentice host returned the love and told Morning Joe’s Joe Scarborough, “He's running his country and at least he's a leader, unlike what we have in this country.”
During the second presidential debate on Sunday, October 9, Trump played dumb when Clinton mentioned his affinity for Putin. “I know nothing about Russia,” he claimed.
Reports that Putin and Trump family friend Deng Murdoch, who introduced Ivanka to her husband, Jared Kushner, have been floating around for years, ever since their respective divorces in 2013 and 2014.
On March 28, the New York City–based mom of two — she shares teen daughters Chloe and Grace Helen with Murdoch — was seen boarding her pal Roman Abramovich's yacht in St. Bart’s on Monday, March 28. Abramovich also happens to be buds with Putin.
In her interview with the Guardian, Deng Murdoch also spoke about how she’s learned to co-parent with her 85-year-old ex-husband.
“Many people ask that,” she said. “We are very friendly. We parent together, and we go to school events together. We have the same rules for the kids, like not to spend hours on social media. He’s an excellent father, and we are on the same page.”
The media mogul filed for divorce from the businesswoman after 14 years of marriage in June 2013 after he reportedly grew suspicious of her relationship with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. A spokesperson for Blair denied the affair to The Hollywood Reporter in July 2013.
