President Donald Trump has made no secret of the fact Jennifer Hawkins is one of his favourite Miss Universe winners.
And the commander in chief, who owned the beauty pageant from 1996 to 2015, unexpectedly brought up the now-36-year-old model during an interview with an expat New York Post reporter this week.
When the journalist, Ebony Bowden, disclosed that she was from Australia, Trump immediately asked her: ‘How is your Miss Universe?’
Still on your mind? Donald Trump unexpectedly asked ‘how is Jennifer Hawkins?’ during an interview with an Australian journalist this week. Pictured together on July 28, 2004
As reported by The Australian, Bowden later explained in a TV interview: ‘Obviously I have not lost my Australian accent and it’s not one that you can easily shake
‘But at the end of the interview I told him that I was Australian, and that kind of came as a surprise to him. And he said, “How is your Miss Universe?” And I said, “Jennifer Hawkins?”
‘And he said, “I always knew that she would go far. Some of them have it and some don’t. But Jennifer has gone on to do great things and developed a few businesses and recently had a child, of course.’
Favourite: Trump has made no secret of the fact Jennifer was one of his favourite Miss Universe winners from when he owned the beauty pageant. Pictured on June 1, 2004 in Quito, Ecuador
Bowden remarked that it was unusual Trump hadn’t asked after Australia’s Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, but instead ‘wanted to know how our Miss Universe was’.
Jennifer won Miss Universe in 2004 at the age of 22, and spent a year living in New York City in a riverside apartment provided by the Miss Universe Organization.
She went on to have a successful career in modelling and served as an ambassador for Myer department stores for 12 years between 2007 and 2019.
In addition, she owns a tanning range, Jbronze, and boutique tequila brand, Sesión.
Didn’t miss a beat: When an expat New York Post reporter told Trump she was from Australia, the president asked: ‘How is your Miss Universe?’ Pictured on July 28, 2004 in New York City
Priorities! Ebony Bowden (left) thought it was unusual Trump hadn’t asked after Australia’s Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, but instead ‘wanted to know how our Miss Universe was’
She is married to property developer Jake Wall, with whom she shares a six-month-old daughter, and lives in a $20million home in Newport, Sydney.
Trump and Jennifer briefly reunited on stage in 2011 at the National Achievers Congress in Sydney.
Footage of their exchange resurfaced five years later, in October 2016, when Trump was a presidential candidate and facing accusations of sexual misconduct.
He made a sexual joke about how Jennifer ‘came tonight’ and remarked how she was ‘beautiful’ but ‘not very bright’.
Career: Jennifer won Miss Universe in 2004 at the age of 22, and spent a year living in New York City in an apartment provided by the Miss Universe Organization. She went on to have a stellar career in modelling and was an ambassador for Myer department stores for 12 years
Happily ever after: She is married to property developer Jake Wall, with whom she shares a six-month-old daughter, and lives in a $20million home in Newport, Sydney
Trump also placed his hand around Jennifer’s waist and pulled her in for a kiss, but she appeared to turn away to offer a cheek and position her arm between them.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at the time, Jennifer said she had not seen the video.
But she still defended the controversial politician, saying: ‘I have to say that Trump and his family have always been so respectful.’
When asked about the multiple accusations of sexual misconduct against him, she added: ‘I can only comment on what’s happened to me personally, and he’s always treated me with respect.’