A Chef Said Ivanka Had Him Thrown Out Of A Party, But It's Apparently A "Misunderstanding"

The news coming out of a festive gathering on Saturday night took a tense turn, when celebrity chef José Andrés claimed that Ivanka Trump had personally intervened to prevent him from attending an afterparty event at Washington D.C. restaurant Cafe Milano. But that was only the beginning of the story. Since then, both the owner of Cafe Milano and Ivanka Trump herself have reached out to Andrés to explain that his initial reading of the event in question was faulty.

Late on Saturday night, Andrés tweeted at Cafe Milano owner Franco Nuschese, saying, "Thank you @CafeMilanoDC Franco Nuschese! I was a guest of the #alfalfaclubdinner2018 “everyone” welcome to the after party, but I’m the only individual not allow in? Is because @IvankaTrump told you so? You should be ashamed of yourself Franco."

Nuschese responded to Andrés directly, denying Andrés' claims of having been treated unfairly and of Trump's having had anything to do with it. "You are always welcome at @CafeMilanoDC when we are open and in fact, I will host you and toast to all your successes. I am sorry for the misunderstanding," Nuschese wrote in a tweet, explaining that the restaurant had been closed for a private function and that the dinner and after party had different guest lists. "Also, Ivanka Trump had no role on determining event attendees," Nuschese wrote on Twitter.

It didn't stop there. While Trump did not publicly respond to the incident herself on her Twitter feed, Andrés said that she had reached out in a tweet.

"Thank you @IvankaTrump for reaching out. I believe now that you personally had nothing to do," Andrés wrote on Twitter. "Let’s now work on what’s important: Immigration reform, where #DACADreamers and Undocumented citizens will become part of a strong USA. With secure borders. With economic growth."

Bustle reached out to the José Andrés ThinkFoodGroup team regarding what exactly Ivanka's explanation of the situation was, but they say are unable to share any additional information.

Andrés then went a step farther in correcting himself after his outburst, thanking Nuschese for his apology as well. "Thank you @CafeMilanoDC and Franco for the apology. I understand was a “misunderstanding,” Andrés wrote in a tweet. "Still hard to understand why I was the only person not allowed in! Please people of @washingtondc keep supporting a great resturant [sic] institution. Now let’s all be friends. #USAforward."

Before Andrés had attempted to smooth over the situation, various other celebrities and public figures had already jumped to his defense on Twitter. Former Mexican ambassador to China Jorge Guajardo noted that Cafe Milano was the "watering hole of the Trump Admin" and that Andrés' being asked to leave was "a new low for Washington." Former White House ethics lawyer Norm Eisen called for a boycott of Cafe Milano, although Andrés reportedly said that he didn't want that to happen.

Fellow celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain had perhaps the strongest response, saying that the treatment of Andrés was "Loathsome. A grotesque betrayal of a true patriot and hero."

This isn't the first time that Andrés has had a run-in with the Trumps. The Trump Organization sued him for $10 million after he pulled out of a commitment to have a restaurant in Trump Tower after Trump made a speech that insulted Mexicans. Andrés counter-sued and the fight went on for two years before Trump settled with Andrés, who has since become a frequent Trump critic.

Andrés is also at the head of the #ChefsforPuertoRico effort, which has provided thousands of meals to hurricane survivors in Puerto Rico. He's criticized Trump over the president's response in Puerto Rico and over his immigration policies as well, so his comments to Ivanka about figuring out an immigration solution are particularly pointed.