Following her latest appearance on CNBC, the 43-year-old daughter of President Donald Trump is facing a bizarre swirl of online rumors surrounding her signature blonde hair. Online users are convinced Ivanka Trump is wearing a wig, and the buzz began after a post on X went viral.
One person shared a screenshot from her recent segment on the network, bluntly asking, “What is with this family and their hair?” Others quickly followed suit, dissecting everything from her bleach-blonde shade to the way her locks fell over her shoulders. Despite the hair being immaculately styled, some viewers said something looked off.
“It looks like a bad wig,” one person posted. “It looks unnatural,” another added. And then came the identity crisis, “Are we sure that’s Ivanka?” one user asked. “I don’t recognize her. She looks different,” another commented.
Some even suggested she’s channeling someone else entirely. “It’s so weird how she decided to style herself like Melania now,” a user observed. “Aww it’s parted and styled the same as her stepmom’s,” another wrote.
While "wig" may be the internet’s favorite word of the moment, professional eyes see something more grounded. Celebrity hairstylist Sarai Martinez told Daily Mail that Ivanka may not be wearing a wig at all, but extensions.
“It seems that Ivanka is wearing hair extensions… It’s very natural for women to seek out hair extensions to create a more fuller look overall,” Martinez explained. “It seems that she’s adding the extensions not so much for length but for density and thickness.”
Back in February, Ivanka was spotted at the Super Bowl with clip-in extensions that, according to online critics, weren’t placed particularly well. From the back, the extra volume was noticeable, and not necessarily in a flattering way.
Ivanka isn't alone. Her stepmother Melania, has also been subject to hair extension rumors. In December, Vice President JD Vance shared a behind-the-scenes snap of Donald and Melania Trump, and eagle-eyed viewers zoomed in on the back of Melania’s head, where what appeared to be tape-in or beaded-row extensions were visible.
Over the years, Ivanka has become synonymous with her signature blonde locks. But she wasn’t born with this high-maintenance hue. She was originally more of a sandy or dark blonde.
Celebrity colorist Kyle White previously revealed the technique behind Ivanka's look. “Ivanka's blond is created by weaving foil highlights on her natural base color. The highlights are woven with a medium-size thickness and lifted to a pale baby blond,” he told Yahoo! in 2017.
Ivanka's hair experimentation actually dates back to her rebellious youth. In her mother Ivana’s memoir 'Raising Trump,' she recalls one moment that led to a serious hair intervention. “One day after school, I dyed my hair blue,” Ivanka wrote.
“Mom wasn’t a fan of this decision. She took one look at me and immediately went out to the nearest drugstore to buy a $10 box of Nice ‘n Easy.” That box of dye was three shades lighter than Ivanka's natural hair, and she’s basically stuck with the look ever since.