Pete Hegseth’s Love Life Exposed: From 1st Wife to Current Partner, What You Need to Know

Pete Hegseth’s Personal Life: A Look into His Marriages and Children

Pete Hegseth is accustomed to life in the public eye, but lately, he has faced criticism over his past. In late 2024, The New York Times published an old email from Hegseth’s mother, Penelope Hegseth, in which she accused her son of disrespecting women. While Hegseth’s mom apologized and defended him afterward, the public is curious about the former Fox News co-anchor’s personal life — including whether he’s married and if he has children.

First Marriage: Meredith Schwarz

In 2004, Hegseth married his first wife, Meredith Schwarz, at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Minnesota. By this point Hegseth was transforming into a culture warrior. His burgeoning interest in right-wing politics seemed to coincide with his waning college basketball career. (Princeton’s student newspaper reportedly described him as a “a recruiting afterthought” who had “patiently toiled in obscurity” while on the team.)

After 9/11, Hegseth enlisted in Princeton’s ROTC program and became a company commander. He also wrote opinion columns for The Princeton Tory, the campus’s conservative publication. He expressed strident views against feminism and LGBTQ+ rights. “By advocating government support of the traditional family unit, a return of the acceptability of the ‘homemaker’ vocation, freedom from oppressive government oversight, moral responsibility, and the revival of religious faith, conservatives provide a working blueprint for a free and prosperous future,” Hegseth wrote in 2002.

Hegseth and Schwarz’s young marriage was short-lived. In December 2008, Schwarz filed for divorce after Hegseth admitted that he cheated on her, according to four sources close to the couple. (APM Reports previously revealed that the infidelity was listed as grounds in the couple’s divorce proceedings.) The sources told me that Hegseth’s infidelity left Schwarz emotionally and psychologically scarred. “She was gaslighted by him heavily throughout their relationship,” one of the sources told me. “As far as everyone else was concerned, they were viewed by many as this all-American power couple that were making big things for themselves.”

Second Marriage: Samantha Deering

In 2010, Hegseth married his second wife, Samantha Deering, whom he met while working in Washington, DC, at Vets for Freedom, a group that lobbied to maintain the military’s “counterinsurgency” strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan. They split about seven years later after Hegseth and his third wife, Rauchet, welcomed their first child together in 2017.

Third Marriage: Jennifer Rauchet

In 2019, Hegseth married his current wife, TV producer Jennifer Rauchet, at Trump’s golf course in Colts Neck, New Jersey. Rauchet was married twice before she wed Hegseth. While he was still legally married to his second wife, Rauchet gave birth to her and Hegseth’s first child in August 2017. Pete Hegseth has four biological children and three step-children. He shares a daughter with Rauchet and three other kids with his ex-wife Deering. Rauchet is a mother to three children.

Pete Hegseth’s Controversies and Criticisms

The New York Times Email Scandal

In response to The New York Times report, Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, called the publication “despicable” for “using an out-of-context snippet of an illegally-obtained private email exchange between a mother and her son that does not accurately reflect the entirety of the conversation.” Cheung added, “Mrs. Hegseth expressed regret for her emotional message and apologized.”

Criticism of Hegseth’s Views and Behavior

Hegseth has been criticized for his anti-feminist and anti-LGBTQ+ views, as well as his infidelity and disrespect towards women. In his 2002 opinion column, Hegseth wrote, “By advocating government support of the traditional family unit, a return of the acceptability of the ‘homemaker’ vocation, freedom from oppressive government oversight, moral responsibility, and the revival of religious faith, conservatives provide a working blueprint for a free and prosperous future.”

Pete Hegseth’s Family and Personal Life

Blended Family and Children

Rauchet is a mother to three children. Rauchet has shared photos of her and Hegseth’s blended family to her Instagram account. At Forest Lake Area High School in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Pete Hegseth and Meredith Schwarz seemed like the perfect couple. He played varsity football and basketball; she was on the student council and a nominee for homecoming queen. They were both academic all stars bound for elite schools (Princeton for him, Barnard for her). The class of 1999 voted the pair “most likely to marry.” A yearbook photo shows Hegseth wearing a football jersey with his arms around Schwarz’s waist.

Pete Hegseth’s Childhood and High School Years

Hegseth and Schwarz were both academic all stars bound for elite schools (Princeton for him, Barnard for her). The class of 1999 voted the pair “most likely to marry.” A yearbook photo shows Hegseth wearing a football jersey with his arms around Schwarz’s waist. They were high school sweethearts and married in 2004.

Analysis and Implications

Hegseth’s Career and Public Image

Hegseth’s career and public image have been affected by his personal controversies. In his 2020 book American Crusade, Hegseth suggests the military should pursue a Christian mission. “Our present moment is much like the eleventh century,” he wrote, adding: “We don’t want to fight, but, like our fellow Christians a thousand years ago, we must. We need an American Crusade.”

Media and Public Perception

Media and public perception of Hegseth have shifted in recent years. As his personal controversies have come to light, public perception of him has changed. His views on feminism and LGBTQ+ rights have been criticized, and his infidelity and disrespect towards women have been widely condemned.