Kim Kardashian recently made waves by sending a birthday greeting to Arabella Kushner, Ivanka Trump’s daughter, celebrating her 13th birthday with a sweet message on Ivanka’s Instagram. This gesture, shared on July 17, marked just one of several public exchanges between Kim and Ivanka, underscoring their evolving friendship that began in 2018.
Their connection started when Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, arranged for Kim to meet then-President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss criminal justice reform, an initiative close to Kim’s heart. Since then, Kim’s social interactions with Ivanka have attracted much attention, not only due to their public profiles but also because they come from influential families and share similar interests in business and social causes.
Although based in different cities—Kim in Los Angeles and Ivanka in New York—the two have shared memorable moments over the years. Their earliest public interaction dates back to May 2014 at the Met Gala, where they chatted amid the glitz and glamour. Over time, as Kim delved into criminal justice reform, including advocating for Alice Marie Johnson’s release, she turned to Ivanka as an ally, knowing that Ivanka could help secure the president’s attention. This support eventually contributed to Johnson’s life sentence being commuted in 2018 and later receiving a full pardon.
While Kim has continued her advocacy efforts across administrations, meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris, her friendship with Ivanka has quietly flourished. Ivanka, who relocated to Florida after her father’s 2020 presidential loss, celebrated Kim’s 43rd birthday last fall in Beverly Hills, where the two friends enjoyed an intimate gathering with other prominent guests, including Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez, and members of the Kardashian family.
On Ivanka’s 42nd birthday in October, Kim shared a heartfelt Instagram story featuring a cozy, nostalgic photo of the two with their daughters. Recently, in December, the pair attended the star-studded opening of Fontainebleau Las Vegas, where they watched Justin Timberlake perform, adding yet another shared experience to their growing list.
As Ivanka re-enters the public eye, Kim has been a supportive friend, celebrating milestones with the family, including wishing Jared Kushner a happy birthday in January. This support continued in Kim’s most recent gesture, a birthday message for Arabella, who had a Taylor Swift-themed cake. Ivanka proudly noted the cake’s Swift-inspired message, “Boys only want love when it’s torture,” revealing a shared family appreciation for pop culture moments.
While Ivanka largely refrained from political involvement in her father’s recent campaign, she was present for his nomination acceptance at the Republican National Convention in July and celebrated his victory with Jared at Mar-a-Lago on election night, November 5. Despite the complexities of their public lives, Kim and Ivanka’s friendship remains strong, marked by mutual respect and shared celebrations.