Who Is Pete Hegseth’s Spouse? What to Know About Jennifer Rauchet

Pete Hegseth has been married thrice, most just lately to his former Fox Information colleague Jennifer Rauchet.

The U.S. Secretary of Protection and Rauchet first related whereas they had been each employed by the information station. On the time, Hegseth was married to his second spouse, Samantha Deering, with whom he shares three sons, whereas Rauchet, who was additionally a mom of three on the time, was married to her former husband.

In August 2017, Rauchet gave start to her and Hegseth’s first youngster collectively, and a month later, Deering filed for divorce from Hegseth. In 2019, he and Rauchet married.

Hegseth got here beneath fireplace in March 2025 when he inadvertently added the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic to a non-public Sign chat through which the U.S. Secretary of Protection in addition to a number of excessive profile authorities officers, together with Vice President J.D. Vance, mentioned precise details about weapons, targets and timing of an assault in Yemen.

Now, he’s dealing with criticism once more as he allegedly shared extra particulars of a U.S. navy strike in Yemen in one other alleged Sign chat that included his spouse, brother Phil, and private lawyer Tim Parlatore, per The New York Instances.

So who’s Pete Hegseth’s spouse? Here is every thing to find out about Jennifer Rauchet and her relationship with the politician.

She is a former producer at Fox Information

Rauchet was a producer at Fox Information the place she primarily labored on Fox and Associates, which Hegseth started co-hosting in 2017.

He labored on the present by way of 2024, although Rauchet moved to producing Watters’ World when information of their relationship was made public.

They first met whereas they had been each married

Hegseth was married twice earlier than he met Rauchet. He first wed Meredith Schwarz, his highschool girlfriend from Minnesota, in 2004 earlier than the 2 filed for divorce in 2008 after he allegedly admitted to having a number of affairs, per The New Yorker.

The previous information anchor went on to marry his second spouse, Deering, in 2010 after the 2 met whereas engaged on Vets for Freedom. Nevertheless, their relationship got here to an finish when Hegseth quietly welcomed a daughter with Rauchet in August 2017. Shortly after, Deering filed for divorce, based on Self-importance Truthful.

Rauchet was additionally married on the time and had three kids from earlier relationships, Mediaite reported on the time.

They’ve a blended household of seven kids

Hegseth and Rauchet welcomed their daughter, Gwendolyn, in August 2017 and have been elevating their kids in a blended household of seven since. Hegseth ceaselessly posts photographs of their children on Instagram, together with celebrating holidays collectively and attending sporting occasions.

All seven kids had been in attendance when Hegseth was sworn in because the U.S. Secretary of Protection in January 2025. Rauchet posted photographs from the day, together with photographs of their kids roaming across the White Home and standing beside Hegseth as he took his oath.

They acquired married at Trump’s golf membership in August 2019

In August 2019, Hegseth and Rauchet acquired married on the Trump Nationwide Golf Membership in Colts Neck, N.J.

President Donald Trump attended the nuptials, as did Hegseth’s Fox colleague Sean Hannity, who arrived along with his now-fiancée Ainsley Earhardt by helicopter, marking certainly one of their first recognized outings collectively.

She supported him when he was accused of sexual assault

In November 2024, a California police report revealed that Hegseth was accused of sexual assault in an October 2017 incident.

A girl claimed that the then-Fox anchor might have drugged her and sexually assaulted her on the Hyatt Regency Resort in Monterey, Calif., the place they had been each attending the 2017 California Federation of Republican Ladies biennial convention. The girl was one of many organizers.

Hegseth was by no means charged in connection to the alleged assault and claimed that the girl was “snug with what was happening between the 2 of them,” and that there was “‘at all times’ dialog and ‘at all times’ consensual contact,” per the report.

In accordance with the Related Press, Hegseth finally paid the girl $50,000 in a confidential settlement that befell in December 2020.

“They received’t cease with Pete. It’s not him they’re after. It’s your values. We received’t again down,” Rauchet wrote on Instagram in December 2024 amid headlines surrounding the allegations.

She has acquired criticism for being concerned in delicate Pentagon conversations

Although Rauchet doesn’t maintain any official authorities function, she has accompanied Hegseth to quite a lot of conferences, together with ones with overseas navy officers the place delicate data was allegedly mentioned, the Wall Avenue Journal reported in March 2025.

After Hegseth acquired criticism for by chance together with The Atlantic editor-in-chief in a Sign group chat that mentioned particulars of a overseas safety plan, The New York Instances reported that he included his spouse in a second Sign group chat through which he mentioned delicate data.

4 individuals with information of the chat instructed the outlet that Hegseth included data such because the flight schedules of the missiles concentrating on the Houthis, a insurgent group recognized as terrorists by the U.S., in Yemen.