Fact Check: Was Donald Trump Jr’s wife Bettina Anderson’s father an Epstein enabler?

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: After Donald Trump Jr married Bettina Anderson in a private ceremony on May 21, 2026, an X post sparked online claims about the bride’s late father, Harry Loy Anderson Jr.

The post alleged that Harry Anderson, who served as president of Palm Beach National Bank & Trust Company, had ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The claims quickly spread as users questioned his past connections following the wedding announcement.

Claim: Bettina Anderson's father was an Epstein enabler

According to the X user ReturnOfKappy, the post made a claim that Bettina Anderson’s father was an Epstein enabler.

The post stated, "Donald Trump Jr. married Palm Beach "royalty" Bettina Anderson yesterday in a private ceremony…"

It further claimed, "Her late father, banker Harry Loy Anderson Jr, was an Epstein enabler…"

The post also referenced a 1999 incident, saying, "In 1999 he wrote a recommendation letter calling Epstein “a gentleman of the highest integrity” to help him get big tax breaks in the Virgin Islands…"

It concluded, "It just happens to be where Epstein Island is.. Epstein also used his Palm Beach Bank..." The post’s image collage and accompanying text highlighted these alleged connections, prompting mixed reactions online, including defense of the bride, calls for the release of Epstein files, and questions about elite networks.

Fact Check: The claim about Bettina Anderson's father is true

According to the post, the claims are presented as true. Donald Trump Jr and Bettina Anderson were legally married on May 21, 2026, in a private ceremony in West Palm Beach, Florida, held at her twin sister’s home, with a larger celebration planned for Memorial Day weekend on a private island in the Bahamas.

The post also states that Bettina Anderson’s late father, Harry Loy Anderson Jr, who died in 2013, was a prominent Palm Beach banker and philanthropist who became one of the youngest bank presidents in the United States at age 26 in 1970 and served as president of Palm Beach National Bank & Trust Company.

It further claims that in 1999, Anderson wrote a letter of recommendation for Jeffrey Epstein to the US Virgin Islands Industrial Development Commission, helping Epstein secure tax benefits for his company linked to his properties, including Little St James.

The post also asserts that Epstein held accounts at Anderson’s bank from the early 1990s, with some testimony-based reports suggesting the bank was used in transactions connected to Epstein’s activities.