Who is Samantha Hegseth? More on Pete Hegseth's ex-wife
Pete Hegseth currently serves as the 29th United States Secretary of Defense. His appointment attracted criticisms for alleged sexual assault, excessive drinking, and abuse of his ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth. While Samantha has kept a low profile, many have inquired about her.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Profile summary
- Samantha Hegseth's biography
- Samantha Hegseth's career
- Was there domestic abuse in Samantha and Pete Hegseth's marriage?
- How old is Pete Hegseth?
- How many times has Pete Hegseth been married?
- How many children does Pete Hegseth have?
- How much is Pete Hegseth on Fox News worth?
- Is Samantha Hegseth married?
- Did Samantha Hegseth remarry?
- Did Pete Hegseth play basketball?
Key takeaways
- Samantha is Pete Hegseth's ex-wife. She was his second wife.
- The couple were married for 7 years and divorced in 2017.
- They have three sons together; Gunner (2010), Boone (2012), and Rex Brian (2016).
- Pete and Samantha divorced due to Pete Hegseth's infidelity.
- In Pete Hegeseth's confirmation hearing, his former sister-in-law accused him of abusing Samantha.
Profile summary
| Full name | Samantha Hegseth (née Samantha Deering) |
| Date of birth | 1 January 1970 |
| Age | 55 years old in 2025 |
| Zodiac sign | Capricorn |
| Birthplace | Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA |
| Romantic orientation | Heterosexual |
| Current nationality | American |
| Marital status | Divorced (married to Pete Hegseth from 2010 to 2017) |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Gender | Female |
| Weight | 55 kg (most widely reported) |
| Height | 167 cm |
| Profession | Spokesperson and teacher |
| Native language | English |
| Net worth | Unknown |
Samantha Hegseth's biography
Samantha Hegseth is the former wife of the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Samantha was Pete's second wife and was married to him for 7 years. Samantha was Pete's second wife. She works at Liberty Classical Academy in Minnesota where her three boys attend.
What is Samantha Hegseth's age?
Samantha Hegseth is 55 years old as of 2025. She was born on 1 January 1970 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She is a Capricorn.
Samantha Hegseth's personal life
Samantha remains fiercely private about her personal life. Her lack of social media and staying out of the limelight further shows this.
Since Samantha's divorce from Pete, she has become more reclusive. She prefers a lowkey lifestyle compared to her ex-husband's approach to the public eye.
Source: Original
Samantha Hegseth's career
Before meeting her ex-husband, Samantha was a spokesperson for Vets For Freedom. The group is politically affiliated and focuses on advocacy. It was founded in 2006 by veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Originally called the 527 Group, it supported former Senator Joseph Lieberman. Vets For Freedom relies on donations, with major backing from people like the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson.
The organization is tax-exempt and non-profit. While there, Samantha met Pete Hegseth, the executive director. Samantha is currently working at Liberty Classical Academy in Minnesota where her children also study at.
Samantha Hegseth and Pete Hegseth's relationship
Samantha met Pete Hegseth while she was working at the Vets for Freedom. Pete was married to his high school sweetheart Meredith Schwarz at the time. In 2008, Pete confessed to Meredith that he had been unfaithful.
Meredith divorced Pete after she found a charge on her credit card for a local hotel room where Pete had an affair with Samantha. After Pete Hegseth's divorce from Schwarz, he started officially seeing Samantha.
Source: Facebook
The couple got pregnant with their first son, Gunner. In the spring of 2010, Samantha Deering and Pete Hegseth wedded at St. John's Episcopal Church of Washington, DC. The couple was blessed with two more sons, Rex and Boone.
Samantha Hegseth's divorce
Seven years into their marriage, Samantha and Pete Hegseth's marriage faced the same issues of infidelity as his first marriage. Pete cheated on Samantha and had a daughter with his Fox executive producer Jennifer Rauchet. Samantha divorced Pete in September 2017.
Samantha Hegseth’s net worth
Little is known about Samantha's net worth. She receives spousal support from her rich ex-husband, Pete Hegseth.
Was there domestic abuse in Samantha and Pete Hegseth's marriage?
On 21 January 2025, US Senators received an affidavit from the former sister-in-law of Pete Hegseth. The affidavit was part of the background check for Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing for the US Secretary of Defense position.
Source: Getty Images
The affidavit submitted by Danielle Hegseth, the ex-wife of Pete's brother alleged that Pete abused Samantha while they were married. It said that his behaviour led to Samantha fearing for her safety.
Danielle alleged that Samantha once hid in the closet to escape Pete and developed escape plans “if she felt she needed to get away from Hegseth”.
Samantha Hegseth responded to the affidavit with an email,
First and foremost, I have not and will not comment on my marriage to Pete Hegseth. I do not have representatives speaking on my behalf, nor have I ever asked anyone to share or speak about the details of my marriage on my behalf, whether it be a reporter, a committee member, a transition team member, etc.
Samantha also said,
There was no physical abuse in my marriage. This is the only further statement I will make to you, I have let you know that I am not speaking and will not speak on my marriage to Pete. Please respect this decision.
According to an article shared by the The Washington Post, Samantha Hegseth is contractually obligated to not speak ill of her ex-husband Pete Hegseth. This is according to their divorce settlement from July 2018.
The Washington Post revealed that Samantha Hegseth is contractually obligated not to speak ill of her ex-husband Pete Hegseth. This is according to their divorce settlement from July 2018.
The divorce documents showed that Samantha could lose up to $80,000 a year she receives from Pete Hegseth. The Defense Secretary pays $17,000 a month in spousal support to his ex-wife Samantha.
Pete Hegseth's mother's email to him
The affidavit by Danielle Hegseth is not the first time Pete Hegseth has been accused of mistreating Samantha during their marriage. After their divorce in 2018, Pete Hegseth's mother wrote an email to him.
In the email, she accused him of being an "abuser of women". Penelope Hegseth wrote to him on "behalf of all the women, (and I know it's many) you have abused in some way," and told him to get help.
She has since denounced the email and said she wrote it in the heat of the moment. She insisted that she loved her son and was in "deep emotions" because he was going through a "very difficult divorce."
How old is Pete Hegseth?
Pete Hegseth (age 55 years as of August 2025) was born on 6 June 1980. The US Secretary of Defense has had a bustling career in TV and experience within the army.
Source: Getty Images
Pete became the United States Secretary of Defense in January 2025. He contributed to Fox News from 2014 and co-hosted Fox and Friends from 2017 to 2024.
Pete was also an Army National Guard officer and former executive director of Vets For Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America, a political advocacy group for veterans.
How many times has Pete Hegseth been married?
Pete Hegseth has been married three times. His first marriage was to his high school sweetheart, Meredith Schwarz, but they divorced in 2008. The divorce was due to Pete's confessed infidelity with several people including Samantha Deering.
After their separation, Pete began a relationship with Samantha. He married Samantha Deering in the spring of 2010 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, DC. They had three children together: Gunner, Rex, and Boone.
In August 2017, while still married to Samantha, Pete had a daughter with Fox News executive producer Jennifer Rauchet. Following this, Samantha filed for divorce in September 2017.
Shortly after the divorce, Pete and Jennifer began dating. They got engaged on June 15, 2019. The couple wedded two months later on August 20, 2019, at Trump National Golf Club in Colts Neck, New Jersey. Jennifer Rauchet works for Fox News.
Source: Getty Images
How many children does Pete Hegseth have?
Pete has seven children, but only four are his biological children. His other kids are his stepchildren from his wife Jennifer: Kenzie, Jackson, and Luke. Samantha and Pete welcomed their first biological child together in 2017.
Samantha Hegseth’s children with Pete are three sons. They are Gunner (2010), Boone (2012), and Rex Brian (2016), with Gunner being born before their marriage in 2010.
How much is Pete Hegseth on Fox News worth?
The TV personality's long withstanding career has earned him a significant net worth. Forbes estimates that Pete Hegseth and his wife Jennifer Rauchet have a combined net worth of $3 million.
Is Samantha Hegseth married?
Samantha and Pete were married between 2010 and 2017. The marriage lasted only seven years and was considered Samantha's first marriage.
Did Samantha Hegseth remarry?
As of 2025, Samantha is not reported to be remarried, and her relationship status is unknown. Samantha still receives spousal support from Pete Hegseth which implies that she has not remarried.
Did Pete Hegseth play basketball?
Yes, Hegseth played basketball for Princeton University. Although he majored in politics, he chose Princeton for the men's basketball program, the Tigers.
Samantha Hegseth finds herself in the headlines occasionally due to the nature of her ex-husband's job. Since he was on Fox News, Samantha has received public scrutiny as Pete Hegseth's ex-wife. She tries to keep her life private and her children away from the media.
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