When public figures speak passionately about family values, it’s only natural for people to take notice, especially when their personal lives tell a different story. Pete Hegseth, now serving as the 29th United States Secretary of Defense as of January 2025, has long been vocal about the importance of marriage, parenting, and preserving the structure of the traditional family.
In his 2016 book In the Arena, the former Army National Guard officer wrote: “The focus on family policy should instead be on strengthening families and creating good citizens by preventing divorce of parents with kids, encouraging large productive families…”
But behind those convictions is a personal history that doesn’t quite align. Pete has been divorced twice—first from Meredith Schwarz, then from Samantha Deering, and both marriages ended for the same reason.
So, what really happened behind the scenes? Here’s a closer look at the choices, circumstances, and contradictions that led his first two wives to walk away.
He Married His High School Sweetheart, Meredith Schwarz, For Four Years
Hegseth’s first marriage had the kind of beginning that felt right out of a yearbook prediction. He and Meredith Schwarz were once high school sweethearts at Forest Lake Area High School in Minnesota. They were so well-matched, their classmates even voted them “Most Likely to Marry” in the class of 1999.
In 2004, they made that prediction a reality, exchanging vows at the Cathedral of Saint Paul. That same year, Pete completed his basic training at Fort Benning in Georgia.
But despite the seemingly picture-perfect start, their marriage didn’t last. Just four years later, in December 2008, Meredith filed for divorce. The reason was made clear in the court documents: infidelity. Hegseth had reportedly been involved with a female colleague while still married.
The divorce judgment stated, “There exists an irretrievable breakdown of the parties’ marriage relationship … due to Respondent’s infidelity.”
According to sources close to the situation, the betrayal took a toll on Meredith, both emotionally and psychologically.
His Second Marriage Began Before the First Was Fully Over
By the time Meredith Schwarz filed for divorce, Hegseth had already started a new relationship with his second spouse, Samantha Deering. The two met while working in Washington, D.C., at Vets for Freedom.
Just two years later, in June 2010, Pete and Samantha got married at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia. During their time together, they welcomed three children: Gunner, Boone, and Rex Brian Hegseth.
But like his first marriage, this one would also unravel—and again, infidelity was at the center of it. In September 2017, Samantha filed for divorce shortly after Pete fathered a child with Fox News producer Jennifer Rauchet. The timeline raised eyebrows: their child was born just one month before the divorce papers were filed.
Though his personal life had grown increasingly complicated, Pete went on to marry Rauchet—his third wife—and the two remain together. Still, their relationship hasn’t escaped scrutiny. A source once told Radar, “I’m sure she’s worried about his infidelity and drinking, but she’s also involved in the shaping of his public image.”
