The Bizarre Detail From Tiffany Trump's Wedding That Unsettled The Internet
Tiffany Trump's lavish wedding to Michael Boulos took place at Mar-a-Lago in November 2022. X, formerly known as Twitter, went into a tizzy because of a photo of Tiffany's father Donald Trump walking her down the aisle since it seemed like he flashed a cheesy thumbs-up. However, that's not the only detail about Tiffany's big day that got the internet talking. In fact, people found one thing downright unsettling.
During the reception, a group of dancers did a choreographed routine. They wore gold dresses, black high heels, long black gloves, and black blindfolds, and held tiny bouquets of flowers in their mouths. A video from their performance was shared by The Independent, originally posted in an Instagram Story by a member of the groom's side of the family named Viviane Boulos. The clip was also shared on X after it was posted.
Although it seems the tweet was deleted, Newsweek shared some people's reactions to it. One reportedly wrote, "They hired the jezebels from ['The Handmaid's Tale']," referring to the hit dystopian show inspired by Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name. Another X user referenced pop culture as well, quipping, "'Eyes Wide Shut' theme?? Makes sense to me." The film, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, explores dark, sexual themes.
Was the blindfolded dancing inspired by tradition?
According to The Independent, another X user called the performance a "freakshow." After the blindfolded dance that confused the internet finished, Tiffany Trump and Michael Boulos had their first dance. Later on, non-blindfolded dancers in short, poofy white dresses also did a routine (via X). Boulos is Lebanese American, which played a big part in the wedding planning. Trump chose a dress from Lebanese designer Elie Saab with her mom telling People, "It's a Lebanese American wedding, so we were so happy to have Elie Saab create the magic." Saab was also the designer of Marla Maples' lavender-colored, show-stealing mother-of-the-bride dress.
Is the detail of the blindfolded dancers also significant to Lebanese weddings perhaps? The Knot interviewed Kiran Valani Ali, of Divine Decor & Design, an event planning company, on Lebanese wedding traditions. On the dance front, she discussed the zaffe, or parade, to the reception with the newlyweds noting, "This is when the party starts." Valani Ali also confirmed that belly dancers are quite common at traditional Lebanese weddings. Based on the short clip of the blindfolded performers at Trump and Boulos' nuptials, it doesn't seem like they were belly dancing. However, the color of their dresses may be significant.
It's unclear why the dancers wore the blindfolds
While discussing decorations at Lebanese nuptials with The Knot, Kiran Valani Ali said, "Primarily the colors of a Lebanese wedding will usually be white and gold." That could be why the dancers wore gold dresses and why Tiffany Trump's bouquet was white. Valani Ali didn't report that blindfolded dancing was part of Lebanese wedding traditions, but other styles of dance incorporate them, such as shamanic trance dance. Again, that doesn't seem like what Tiffany and her husband's dancers were doing, however. Suffice it to stay that the true intention of the blindfolded dancers will likely remain a mystery.
Although it was the most startling, the footage was far from the only thing at Tiffany's wedding that had people online buzzing. Ivanka Trump cropped a wedding picture and had X in stitches. The original photo, which was later shared by someone else on X, featured Donald Trump Jr.'s fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle, but the version Ivanka posted on Instagram had her noticeably cropped out. According to a screenshot on X, Ivanka eventually shared the full, non-cropped photo on her Instagram Story but the damage was done.