In the 2010 episode titled “Easy J,” Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner greet Lily van der Woodsen and Rufus Humphrey at a New York Observer party. The exchange is brief; Lily merely tells a glammed-up Trump that she “is a vision,” while the “Women Who Work” author thanks the couple for coming. As Business Insider notes, Trump and Kushner’s presence at the party made sense, given that Kushner owned the Observer at the time. Additionally, Trump regularly appeared on episodes of her father’s show, “The Apprentice,” so she was no stranger to the world of TV. Executive producer Joshua Safran told Vulture that the guest appearance was organic, explaining, “With Jared and Ivanka, it would’ve been, ‘They’re on a list and they’re in town, reach out and see if they’re available.” Co-creator Josh Schwartz agreed, adding, “People wanted to be on the show, it was a crazy thing.”
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Though Trump and Kushner’s cameo garnered backlash in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidential run(s), Safran didn’t look back in regret. “[Ivanka and Jared] are socialites in New York and they do fit the world of ‘Gossip Girl.’ I’m sure Lily van der Woodsen knows Trump and would have been on the board of charities with him or Melania. That’s the world of ‘Gossip Girl,’ so to deny it would be wrong,” he said. In all fairness, it makes sense — “Gossip Girl” tracks the who’s-who of Manhattan society, and Trump and Kushner certainly fit the mold.
