EXCLUSIVEAudrey Hepburn's son breaks silence after Ivanka Trump's tribute to his mother at inauguration sparks backlash
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Audrey Hepburn’s eldest son has said he was not surprised at Ivanka Trump’s tribute to his late mother at the inauguration – but implied the late actress' politics would have aligned more with the 'woke' bishop than the President.
The First Daughter, 43, took to the stage with her husband, Jared Kushner, 44, for a romantic dance during her father Donald's Liberty Ball in Washington, D.C. on Monday evening, wearing a recreation of a Hubert de Givenchy gown that was originally designed for Audrey in the 1954 film Sabrina.
The strapless black-and-white number was complete with floral motifs and a bodice.
But unlike Audrey, who fashioned the gown with minimal jewellery and long, white satin gloves for her turn alongside William Holden, Ivanka opted for black gloves and a Leviev floral diamond necklace.
In a statement, the White House said Ivanka was 'honored' to pay homage to Audrey who has ‘long been a personal inspiration to Ivanka.’
Audrey’s son Sean Hepburn Ferrer, 64, said it was ‘no wonder’ Donald's daughter opted to give a nod to his late mother due to their decades-long family ties.
Audrey Hepburn’s son has told DailyMail.com that he was not surprised at Ivanka Trump’s tribute to his late mother at the inauguration (pictured with her husband Jared Kushner)
Ivanka, 43, wore a recreation of a Hubert de Givenchy gown that was originally designed for Audrey in the 1954 film Sabrina (pictured)
‘It is no wonder that growing up in a family which knew our mother as a household name she chose to draw inspiration from her, to seek the ultimate elegance and class reference, for an occasion such as this one - the inauguration and the 32nd anniversary of our mother's passing and, most of all, Martin Luther King's day,’ he told DailyMail.com exclusively. ‘What a cocktail!’
He recalled how Donald and Ivanka’s stepmother Marla Ann Maples sat on the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund advisory board in the early 1990s.
The Fund once held a charitable event for Ivanka's stepsister Tiffany to mark her first birthday, dubbed 'Breakfast with Tiffany' in a nod to Audrey’s 1961 film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Ivanka’s mother Ivana, Donald’s first wife, was also in a long relationship with Rofredo Gaetani, the eldest son of Lorian Gaetani, one of Audrey’s childhood and lifetime friends of the Hepburn family.
Sean said Ivanka’s decision to pay tribute to his mother highlights how she is an ‘anchor’ for many celebrities.
‘Over the past 71 years her legacy has grown to become transgenerational and transnational,’ he said.
‘Her elegance, which has its roots in her inner beauty and spirit, is often a reference point, an anchor, for many celebrities, actresses and models in these times in which we appear to have somewhat lost our way.’
But when pushed on the backlash to Ivanka’s choice of attire, he said his mother, who was a UNICEF ambassador, ‘fought on behalf of the disenfranchised children worldwide regardless of the ideological environment in which they were born in.’
The First Daughter took to the stage with her husband, Jared, 44, for a romantic dance during the Liberty Ball in Washington, D.C. on Monday evening
Audrey's son Sean Hepburn Ferrer implied his late mother would not have aligned with Donald’s politics
He suggested her outlook was more in line with Marianne Budde, the left-wing Episcopal Bishop of Washington, who claimed trans kids were 'fearing for their lives' due to Donald being in the Oval Office.
Donald sat stony-faced in the front row, next to First Lady Melania Trump, as the prelate told him illegal immigrants were not criminals and he shouldn't deport those with children, before asking him to 'have mercy upon the people in our country that are scared now.'
Ivanka, who previously served as senior adviser in President Trump's first administration, sparked fury among fans of the late British icon, who claimed the recreation of the gown was ‘gross’ and ‘insulting to [Audrey’s] memory.’
‘I’m a big Audrey fan and this is 100 percent insulting to her memory,’ wrote one person on Reddit. ‘Before she was a glamorous, famous actress, she was a rebel against the very political movement Ivanka’s father emulates.’
Another wrote: ‘Yep everything Audrey fans have said is true. She witnessed first-hand the devastation of the Nazis, and it stayed with her for the rest of her life and inspired her work with UNICEF.
‘That is why she is remembered as an icon. She wasn’t American, but I can only imagine what she would think of Trump. Ivanka is not a fashion icon or role model in any way.’
‘She [Audrey] is the complete opposite of Ivanka’s silver spoon life,’ commented a third.
In a statement, the White House said Ivanka was 'honored' to pay homage to Audrey who has ‘long been a personal inspiration to Ivanka’
Audrey pictured with her then husband Mel Ferrer and their son Sean
Born to a Dutch baroness, Ella van Heemstra, and a British-Austrian businessman, Joseph Hepburn-Ruston, Audrey bravely carried messages for the Dutch resistance during the Nazi occupation and was never able to accept her mother’s early affiliation with the Nazis.
Detailing her experiences during World War II in his biography Dutch Girl, Robert Matzen said she ‘feared Ella’s Nazi past would kill her career, but still, they remained close.’
Audrey, who was nominated for five Oscars and won the best actress award in 1953 for her performance in Roman Holiday, dedicated her life to advocating for children living in poverty.
In December 1992 she received the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
Audrey had son Sean with her first husband Mel Ferrer. She also has son Luca Dotti, now 54, with her second husband, Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti.
She died in 1993 from abdominal cancer.
