Jennifer Rauchet (born January 30, 1985) is the third wife of Pete Hegseth, and an American media personality and executive producer at Fox Channel. She came into the spotlight in 2017 after she was romantically linked to TV host Pete Hegseth, who was still married to his second wife, Samantha Deering, at the time.
Throughout his years of military service and conservative activism, Pete Hegseth has sought to build an image as a defender of traditional family values. That reputation has seen him acquire several high-profile connections, including with the likes of former President Donald Trump, but it was nearly tarnished when it emerged in 2017 that the Fox host had been having an extramarital affair with none other than his workplace colleague, Jennifer Rauchet.
The couple later tied the knot but this has not stopped the scrutiny about Rauchet. Many would want to presume the worse about her but the fact is that the lady is an accomplished executive producer who has worked at Fox News for several years.
- Full name: Jennifer Cunningham Rauchet Hegseth.
- Date of birth: January 30, 1985
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Nationality: American
- Education institutions attended: Towson University Maryland
- Occupation: executive news producer
- Spouse: Pete Hegseth (2019 – date)
- Children: four namely Jackson, Luke, Kenzie, and Gwen
- Hair color: blond
- Eye color: brown
Jennifer Rauchet is an Alum of Towson University Maryland
There is not a lot of personal details existing out there about Jennifer Rauchet. Her birthplace is not known and her exact birth year is unavailable. What we do know is that she was born on the 30th of January in the early 80s. It is also known that the renowned executive producer is of Caucasian ethnicity and American nationality. Furthermore, she was raised by her homemaker mom named Linda, and her businessman father. Jennifer Rauchet grew up to be a very intelligent girl. She completed her high school diploma in normal time. She thereafter enrolled in Towson University Maryland and obtained a degree in journalism.
With her gorgeous blond looks, Jennifer Rauchet could have easily made it as a news anchor or reporter but she chose not to go that route. She preferred taking on the challenging world of being a news producer and joined the WIPX-TV New York in 2001 as a production assistant. She spent a good period of time there during which she mastered the intricacies of producing an entire newscast. This enabled her to gain better opportunities and by 2006, she was hired by Fox Network.
Rauchet and Pete Hegseth Commenced Their Relationship While Still Married To Other People
The sexual harassment suit was the second time that Jennifer Rauchet would face some scandalous accusation connected to her work. The first ironically had to do with her romance with her current husband, Pete Hegseth. Rauchet had spent several years working as an executive producer for Fox when Hegseth, a decorated army veteran-turned-conservative advocate joined the network as a contributor in 2014. He appeared on several shows, some of which she produced, and they became fast friends. They later started dating along the way. Of course, there is nothing wrong with two consenting adults falling in love but in the case of Rauchet and Hegseth, it was problematic as they were both married.
The army veteran was married to second wife, Samantha, while Rauchet was still on marriage No. 1. This fact did not deter the two love birds though. They carried on with their romance and by August 2017, the two welcomed a daughter named Gwen. Of course, there was no hiding the birth of their child and their romance became a public affair. Hegseth’s wife, Samantha, filed for divorce in September 2017 while Rauchet also filed for divorce from her own husband around the same time. In their workplace, Rauchet was asked to stop producing the show that Hegseth anchored on the weekend, Fox & Friends, and was instead transferred to another show.
Once the cat was out of the bag, Rauchet and Hegseth did not bother hiding their romance again. They left their respective spouses and moved in with their daughter. They also attended several social events together, including a private dinner with then-president Trump in October 2017, and lavished loving words on each other on Instagram. All this was even before their divorce from their respective spouses was finalized. Given how the whole thing went down, it is obvious that Jennifer Rauchet’s relationship with Pete broke up his second marriage. It may not have been the only causal factor but it certainly played a great part.
The Couple Got Married in 2019 and Now Have a Total of Seven Children Between Them
After nearly four years of dating, and with their respective divorces finalized, Jennifer Rauchet and Pete Hegseth decided to tie the knot. The wedding ceremony took place on the 15th day of August 2019 and was held at the posh Trump National Golf Club Colts Neck in New Jersey. It featured their friends and loved ones. Their Fox colleagues were also there in abundance, including big names such as Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earnhardt. The wedding also featured all seven children that the couple have between them. Jennifer Rauchet and Pete Hegseth have one child together, Gwen, who was born in 2017. They also have three children each from their previous relationship.
Hegseth’s marriage to Samantha produced three sons namely Boone, Rex, and Gunner. Rauchet’s marriage to her former husband also produced three children – two sons named Jackson and Luke and a daughter named Kenzie. All the kids were present at the wedding and Rauchet captioned the heartwarming picture as feeling perfectly and happily blended. Jennifer Rauchet and Pete Hegseth have been married for more than two years now and remain focused on their career and personal goals. The couple lives in Holmdel, New Jersey, and have built a loving home for all seven kids in their blended family. It is not clear whether they have primary custody of all the kids from their past marriages but they have ensured that they are actively present in their lives.
A look at Rauchet’s Instagram page would show her and her husband going on hikes or other fun activities with all seven children. She also regularly documents their school activities on her page.
She Has Been With Fox News Since 2006 and is the Executive Producer of Several Shows
Jennifer Rauchet has remained at Fox since 2006 and in that time, she has attained the prestigious position of an executive producer. Also known as showrunners, these are the category of people who are responsible for packaging all the elements of a news show into the cohesive result that we see on TV. They take care of any emergency that may arise and Rauchet has performed this tough role on several Fox shows, including Fox & Friends – a news/chat show that airs every weekday morning on Fox.
She is also the executive producer of Watters World, a weekly show that takes a humorous look at happenings in American politics and pop culture). Jennifer Rauchet is also an executive producer at Fox Nation. This is a Fox streaming service that features informative and entertaining shows, documentaries, and news stories. Rauchet is responsible for packaging several of these shows and documentaries, including Un-PC. Un-PC launched in 2018 and features two co-hosts going beyond the headlines to uncover controversial topics in the area of news, politics, sports, etc.
Jennifer Rauchet Was Sued For Aiding and Abetting Sexual Harassment in 2019
Rauchet has grown to become one of the big honchos at Fox News but her career has not come without some negatives. In 2019, she was sued for aiding and abetting sexual harassment by a former Un-PC host named Britt McHenry. In the lawsuit filed in New York, McHenry alleged that her co-host, Tyrus, had sent her inappropriate texts and made unwanted advances towards her in the workplace. She rebuffed this and he proceeded to create a hostile work environment for her.
It was McHenry’s claim that she thereafter complained to Rauchet but rather than call Tyrus to order, the executive producer stopped speaking to her and booking her on other shows. This made her collectively sue Fox News, Fox Corporation, Tyrus, and Rauchet herself. She particularly accused Rauchet of aiding and abetting sexual harassment and retaliation. Fox of course denied all these allegations and the matter dragged on for some time during which the court held that Rauchet only had to answer for retaliation and not aiding/abetting sexual harassment. Fox eventually reached an out-of-court settlement with McHenry in July 2021 and the matter was dismissed.
