7 Shocking Facts About Samantha Deering: Pete Hegseth’s Ex-Wife, Children, and Life After Divorce

Most people searching for Samantha Deering find just a paragraph or two buried inside an article about Pete Hegseth. She deserves far better than a footnote. This is the complete story of Samantha Deering, a woman who raised three sons, navigated one of the most public divorces in conservative media history, and chose silence over spectacle.

Samantha Deering is an American woman born on January 1, 1970, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is best known as the former second wife of Pete Hegseth, now the U.S. Secretary of Defense. She married Hegseth in spring 2010, had three sons with him, and filed for divorce in September 2017 after he fathered a child with another woman while still married to her.

Quick Info Table: Samantha Deering at a Glance

Who Is Samantha Deering?

Samantha Deering is an American woman who became widely known through her marriage to Pete Hegseth, the Fox News personality and Army National Guard veteran who became the 29th U.S. Secretary of Defense in January 2025. She is not a celebrity in her own right. She never sought fame. Yet her name entered the national conversation repeatedly, first during her marriage to a media figure and again during the turbulent Senate confirmation hearings for her ex-husband in late 2024 and early 2025.

Samantha Deering represents something you rarely see in political media circles: a person who, when given every reason to speak publicly, chose to stay silent. That choice itself tells you a great deal about who she is.

She met Pete Hegseth through their shared work at Vets for Freedom, a conservative veterans advocacy group. Their values aligned initially. Their story, however, grew complicated quickly.

Early Life and Background of Samantha Deering

Samantha Deering was born on New Year’s Day 1970 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Details about her childhood, schooling, and family of origin remain scarce. She has never given an interview about her upbringing, and no public records detail her parents or siblings.

What sources consistently confirm is that she grew up in a traditional, values-oriented household. Her decision to stay out of the media even after her divorce from a highly public figure suggests that privacy was deeply embedded in her personality long before she ever met Pete Hegseth.

Minneapolis in the 1970s and 1980s was a close-knit, community-driven city. Growing up there likely shaped her preference for stability and local roots over national attention. That detail matters because it helps explain why she eventually returned to Minnesota after her divorce.

How Samantha Deering Met Pete Hegseth

Samantha Deering and Pete Hegseth crossed paths through the Vets for Freedom organization, a conservative group that advocated for U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pete was already making a name for himself there, building his public profile as a veteran and political commentator.

Their meeting was not a Hollywood romance. It was rooted in shared professional and ideological ground. Both cared deeply about veterans, national service, and conservative values. That foundation felt solid enough to build a relationship on.

Their connection developed after Pete’s first marriage to Meredith Schwarz collapsed in 2008.

Schwarz had filed for divorce after Pete admitted to five affairs. Among the people he was dating at the time was Samantha Deering herself. So the relationship between Samantha and Pete actually began while he was still formally in his first marriage. That detail, verified by multiple reporting sources including CNN, adds important context to the full picture.

The Wedding: Spring 2010 in Washington, D.C.

In the spring of 2010, Samantha Deering and Pete Hegseth married at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. The ceremony was described as intimate and meaningful. It marked the beginning of Samantha’s most publicly visible years.

By the time of the wedding, Samantha was already a mother. Their first son, Gunner Hegseth, had been born on June 13, 2010, around the same time as or shortly after the wedding. Reporting varies on exact timing, but it is clear their family life had already begun before the ceremony itself.

This detail is important. It shows that Samantha was not building a career or cultivating a public identity during these years. She was building a family.

Samantha Deering’s Three Sons

Gunner Hegseth

Gunner Hegseth was born on June 13, 2010, making him the eldest of Samantha Deering’s three sons. He was 15 years old as of 2025. Gunner has made occasional appearances on social media through his father’s accounts. Pete once shared a clip of Gunner’s third-grade basketball game on Fox and Friends, briefly making the boy a minor internet moment.

Peter Boone Hegseth

Peter Boone Hegseth was born on August 7, 2012. He goes by the name Boone. In January 2024, Pete announced on Instagram that Boone had won his school class president election, calling him “the first Hegseth ever elected.” Boone was 13 years old as of 2025.

Rex Brian Hegseth

Rex Brian Hegseth was born on October 1, 2015. He is the youngest of the three brothers from Pete and Samantha’s marriage. When Rex was born, Pete posted a photo on Instagram of his two older sons holding the newborn with the caption: “Blessed to welcome Rex Brian Hegseth to our family today.” Rex was around 10 years old as of 2025.

All three boys live primarily with Samantha Deering in Minnesota, where she is reportedly connected to Liberty Classical Academy, the school they attend.

What Was Life Like as Pete Hegseth’s Wife?

The Military Spouse Reality

Pete Hegseth served in the U.S. Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, reaching the rank of major. He was deployed three times: first to Guantánamo Bay, then as a platoon leader in Iraq, and later to Afghanistan, where he taught counterinsurgency tactics.

When a partner deploys, the spouse left behind becomes the family’s operational center. Samantha Deering managed the household, raised young children, and kept daily life running while Pete was overseas. Anyone who has been a military spouse knows that the role is not passive. It is exhausting, often lonely, and completely invisible to the public.

The Fox News Years

Pete joined Fox News in 2014 and became a co-host of Fox and Friends Weekend. His profile grew rapidly. He was on television regularly, visible to millions, and building an increasingly political brand. For Samantha, this meant the man she married was now a recognizable face in American media.

While Pete appeared on national television, Samantha stayed in the background. No interviews. No public appearances. No social media presence. That contrast was deliberate. And it held even as his fame grew.

The Affair That Ended the Marriage

In August 2017, while Pete Hegseth was still legally married to Samantha Deering, Fox News executive producer Jennifer Rauchet gave birth to a daughter named Gwendolyn. Pete was the father.

Think about what that moment means. Samantha had three sons with Pete, the youngest of whom was just two years old at the time. She learned that her husband had fathered a child with another woman while she was still his wife.

Samantha Deering filed for divorce in September 2017. The divorce was finalized the same year. She did not make a public statement. She did not go on television. She did not post anything on social media. She simply did what she needed to do to protect herself and her children.

Pete’s Own Mother Spoke Out

In April 2018, during the divorce proceedings, Pete’s mother, Penelope “Penny” Hegseth, sent him a private email that The New York Times later obtained and published in November 2024. The email read in part:

“You are an abuser of women. That is the ugly truth, and I have no respect for any man who belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around, and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man.”

Penny later told the Times she wrote the message “in anger, with emotion” and had “immediately apologized in a separate email.” She subsequently defended Pete on Fox News, saying he was “redeemed, forgiven, changed.” The email nonetheless became a significant document during his Senate confirmation hearings.

The 2025 Confirmation Hearings: Samantha Deering’s Name Returns to the National Stage

When President Donald Trump nominated Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense in late 2024, every aspect of Pete’s past came under intense scrutiny. Samantha Deering’s name appeared in headlines again, years after she had successfully stepped away from public view.

The Affidavit from Her Sister

On January 21, 2025, U.S. Senators received an affidavit from Danielle Hegseth, Pete’s former sister-in-law. Danielle alleged that Pete had been physically abusive toward Samantha during their marriage. She claimed Samantha was once so frightened that she hid in a closet and had formed an escape plan that was actually used on one occasion between 2015 and 2016.

Samantha Deering responded directly. In an email to NBC News, she wrote: “I do not believe your information to be accurate, and I have cc’d my lawyer.” She followed up by confirming: “There was no physical abuse in my marriage.” She added that she would not be providing any further commentary.

That response is a perfect example of how Samantha operates. She did not amplify drama. She stated her position, brought legal counsel into the loop, and closed the door.

Pete’s Confirmation Vote

Despite the controversy, Pete Hegseth was confirmed as the 29th Secretary of Defense on January 24, 2025, in a 51 to 50 Senate vote. He was sworn in the following day. All seven of his children, including Samantha’s three sons, stood by his side at the ceremony.

How Samantha Deering Has Handled Life After Divorce

Choosing Minnesota Over the Spotlight

After the divorce, Samantha Deering returned to her Minnesota roots. She reportedly works at Liberty Classical Academy, where her three sons are enrolled. The school has a classical, values-based curriculum, consistent with the priorities she has shown throughout her parenting journey.

Choosing a school-based role rather than a media one tells you a great deal. She wanted normality. She wanted her sons to have it, too.

No Social Media, No Interviews

As of 2026, Samantha Deering maintains no known public social media accounts. She has not appeared in any interviews since her divorce. She receives spousal support from Pete Hegseth, according to reporting from Briefly.co.za, which helps provide financial stability for her and her sons.

Has she remarried?

No confirmed reporting indicates that Samantha Deering has remarried. She is 55 years old in 2025. Whatever her private life looks like, she has kept it exactly that: private.

What a Former Fox Colleague Said About Pete’s Behaviour

A former Fox colleague quoted in The New Yorker described Pete’s behavior when he was away from Samantha and the kids in Minnesota: “He had a kind of what-happens-in-Vegas-stays-in-Vegas kind of attitude while his wife and kids were in Minnesota. He was a huge drinker. I can’t say if he had a problem, but he was very handsy with women, too.”

Samantha lived in Minnesota with three young boys while Pete built his television career in New York. That geographical and emotional distance mattered. She was not simply a quiet bystander to her own marriage. She was a primary parent, holding the household together, while her husband operated in a completely different world.

Why Samantha Deering’s Story Matters in 2025 and Beyond

Samantha Deering’s name searches spiked sharply in January 2025, when Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearings dominated the news cycle. Millions of Americans heard her name for the first time. Many wanted to understand who she was, not just in relation to Pete, but as a person.

Here is what her story actually tells us:

• She was a military spouse who kept a family functional through deployments.
• She was a mother of three who managed a household while her husband built a national television career.
• She was a woman who discovered her husband had fathered a child with another woman while still married to her.
• She responded to that discovery not with a media tour, but with a divorce filing.
• She responded to allegations made during a Senate confirmation hearing not with outrage, but with a precise, legally informed statement.

Each of these moments reflects a consistent character. She is measured, private, and protective of her children above all else.

Key Takeaways

• Samantha Deering was born on January 1, 1970, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is the former second wife of Pete Hegseth, now the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
• She married Pete Hegseth in spring 2010 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., and filed for divorce in September 2017 after Pete fathered a child with Fox News producer Jennifer Rauchet while still married to her.
• Samantha is the mother of three sons: Gunner (born June 2010), Boone (born August 2012), and Rex (born October 2015), all of whom she raises in Minnesota.
• During Pete’s 2024 to 2025 Senate confirmation hearings, Samantha’s name resurfaced in connection with an affidavit alleging abuse, which she personally denied and responded to through legal counsel.
• She has maintained no public social media presence since the divorce and has given no media interviews, prioritizing her children’s stability and her own privacy above all public attention.
• Samantha Deering’s story reflects the experiences of millions of military spouses and co-parents who navigate public pressure while building stable lives largely out of view.

Conclusion

Samantha Deering did not choose the spotlight. It found her because of who she married. But what she did with that attention reveals everything. She deflected it. She protected her sons. She built a quiet life back in Minnesota. And when the national conversation turned to her name again in January 2025, she said what needed to be said in a single email, with a lawyer copied.

That is not a weakness. That is a strategy built on a foundation of values.

Samantha Deering is 55 years old in 2025. She is raising three teenage and preteen sons. She is not seeking redemption, attention, or sympathy. She is doing exactly what she has always done: living on her own terms, away from the noise.

For every person who types her name into a search bar hoping to find more than a footnote in Pete Hegseth’s story, here is what you should take away. Samantha Deering is a complete person. Her identity does not begin and end with her ex-husband’s career. She raised three boys through one of the most disruptive personal experiences a person can face, did so without public complaint, and continues to put her children first every single day. That is a life worth knowing about.

FAQ: Samantha Deering

Who is Samantha Deering?

Samantha Deering is an American woman born on January 1, 1970, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is best known as the former second wife of Pete Hegseth, who will become the U.S. Secretary of Defense in January 2025. She married Hegseth in spring 2010 and divorced him in 2017 after he fathered a child with another woman while still married to her.

Why did Samantha Deering and Pete Hegseth divorce?

Pete Hegseth began a relationship with Fox News executive producer Jennifer Rauchet while still married to Samantha Deering. Rauchet gave birth to Pete’s daughter, Gwendolyn, in August 2017. Samantha filed for divorce in September 2017. The divorce was finalized the same year.

How many children does Samantha Deering have?

Samantha Deering has three sons with Pete Hegseth: Gunner Hegseth (born June 13, 2010), Peter Boone Hegseth (born August 7, 2012), and Rex Brian Hegseth (born October 1, 2015). She raises all three in Minnesota.

What did Samantha Deering say about the abuse allegations during Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearings?

Danielle Hegseth, Pete’s former sister-in-law, submitted an affidavit to senators in January 2025 alleging that Pete had been abusive toward Samantha and that she once hid in a closet in fear. Samantha responded directly to NBC News in writing, stating: “There was no physical abuse in my marriage.” She added that she would not be providing further commentary on the matter.

Does Samantha Deering have social media accounts?

No. As of 2026, Samantha Deering has no known public social media profiles. She has maintained this stance consistently since her divorce from Pete Hegseth in 2017.

Where does Samantha Deering live now?

Samantha Deering is reported to be based in Minnesota, consistent with her connection to Liberty Classical Academy, where her three sons are enrolled. She returned to her home state after her divorce and has remained there.

Has Samantha Deering remarried since her divorce from Pete Hegseth?

No confirmed reporting indicates that Samantha Deering has remarried. She has kept her personal life entirely private since the divorce, and there is no public information about any new relationship.

What was Samantha Deering’s connection to Vets for Freedom?

Pete Hegseth and Samantha Deering met through Vets for Freedom, a conservative veterans advocacy group that Pete led. Samantha was involved in supporting the organization’s work during their relationship and in the early years of their marriage, before stepping away from public advocacy entirely.

How old is Samantha Deering in 2025?

Samantha Deering turned 55 years old on January 1, 2025. She was born on New Year’s Day 1970 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

What does Samantha Deering do for work?

Reporting from Briefly.co.za indicates that Samantha Deering works at Liberty Classical Academy in Minnesota, the school where her three sons are enrolled. She also receives spousal support from Pete Hegseth. Beyond this, the details of her professional life remain private.

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