Pete Hegseth Dragged After Gushing Over 'The Love of His Life' Jennifer Rauchet in Sappy Birthday Tribute — 'What Number Wife is She Again?'
Pete Hegseth and Jennifer Rauchet welcomed a daughter while he was still married to his second wife.
Feb. 2 2026, Published 2:40 p.m. ET
Pete Hegseth has been trolled over calling his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, the "love of my life" after two divorces, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Secretary of Defense, 45, fell for Rauchet when she was his executive producer on Fox & Friends Weekend, and they married in 2019. Hegseth was wishing his wife a happy 41st birthday when he was reminded that he had two other women he likely also called the love of his life before the marriage's ending amid his alleged infidelities.
'The Love of My Life'
Critics dragged Hegseth for calling his wife 'the love of my life' due to his previous marriages.
"Happy Birthday to my Jenny, the love of my life. Grateful to God for you, every single day," Hegseth captioned a series of loved-up photos on social media with Rauchet as they posed on the red carpet of the Melania film premiere in Washington, D.C.
"Which one is that one, number 3 or 4?" one person dragged Hegseth about his two previous marriages.
A second troll asked, "Is that the 3rd or 4th time he's said that line?"
"What wife is this by the way?" a third person scoffed, while a fourth user sneered, "Until wife number four comes along."
"Happy birthday, Jenny! Another year, another chance to tolerate him for another 365 days," a fifth joked about Hegseth.
However, others had thanks for Rauchet's patience, with a sixth person cheering, "Thanks for putting up with all the stresses that come along with your husband's job! Americans know it can't be easy."
Pete Hegseth's First Two Marriages Ended in Infidelity Scandals
Hegseth was still married to Samantha Deering when Rauchet gave birth to their first child.
Hegseth and Rauchet's romance began in scandal. The two fell for each other while working at Fox News, and both were married to other people.
He was married to Samantha Deering from 2010 through 2017, and the duo shares three children.
Rauchet gave birth to Hegseth's daughter, Gwen, in August 2017, one month before Deering filed for divorce. The pair wed on Gwen's second birthday in August 2019 at the Trump National Golf Club in Colts Neck, New Jersey.
Hegseth's first marriage to high school girlfriend Meredith Schwarz lasted from 2004 to 2009. She claimed during their divorce that he had prolific issues with infidelity and admitted to having five affairs.
'She Was Gaslighted By Him'
Hegseth's wife attended in swearing-in as Secretary of War.
Hegseth's messy first marriage was profiled by Vanity Fair in December 2024.
"She was gaslighted by him heavily throughout their relationship," one source told the publication about his marriage to Schwarz. "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."
Hegseth was dating second wife, Deering, when Schwarz filed for divorce. Their marriage ended amid his affair with Rauchet that resulted in a child.
The former TV news producer has three children of her own from a previous marriage. She and Hegseth share a blended family of seven children today, and he doesn't call her kids his "step" children.
"[We] are a family brought together by the grace of God," the former Iraq war vet revealed in 2024. "There are no 'steps' or 'halves' in the Hegseth clan."
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Hegseth got trolled over the too-tight suit he wore to the 'Melania' premiere.
Hegseth's trolling over calling his third wife the "love" of his "life" comes after he was roasted for wearing a too-tight suit to the Melania world premiere at the Trump Kennedy Center.
The workout-loving Donald Trump cabinet member's jacket was straining to stay on his body, with the top button on is suit looking like it was about to pop.
"Can't he afford a jacket that fits him?" one person asked on X, while a second observed, "He seriously needs to buy some larger suits."
