Rumors That Will Haunt Pete Hegseth For The Rest Of His Career

When it comes to Donald Trump's inner circle of MAGA supporters, it's hard to determine who has courted the most criticism and drama during their time in the White House. However, Pete Hegseth has generated more than his fair share of controversy during his first year as the secretary of defense. With his profile elevated significantly, many people have been digging into his past and uncovering forgotten scandals.

Meanwhile, Hegseth has seemingly been going out of his way to create all-new scandals, and along the way, he's established himself as one of the most paranoid members of Trump's cabinet. Although that same paranoia when it comes to trying to keep the press out of the Pentagon hasn't kept him from getting embroiled in some fairly embarrassing situations – including the now-infamous "Signal-gate" drama, and his divisive new rules for the armed forces regarding grooming and fitness.

All the while, Hegseth has been hounded by rumors about everything from his incredibly messy love life to his past legal entanglements. The slew of awkward photos and videos of Hegseth doing embarrassing things over the years hasn't helped his cause. Specifically, footage of Hegseth getting absolutely trashed during a New Year's Eve broadcast while working as a Fox News correspondent, or shirtless photos of Hegseth that show off his problematic chest tattoo. Here's a look at the biggest and most troubling rumors that are bound to haunt Hegseth for the rest of his days.

Pete Hegseth has been married three times and repeatedly embroiled in relationship drama. Hegseth's remarkably messy love life was thrust into the spotlight when he was tapped to join Trump's cabinet, and some of what came out painted the portrait of a man who seemingly doesn't care about the bonds of marriage. According to sources who spoke with Vanity Fair in December 2024, Hegseth admitted to having five affairs while married to his first wife. One of those women wound up being his second wife, and then he reportedly cheated on his second wife with the woman he's now married to, Jennifer Hegseth.

Consensual affairs weren't the biggest issue many people had with Hegseth's behavior toward women. A former co-worker at Fox News told The New Yorker in December 2024 that Hegseth "had a kind of what-happens-in-Vegas-stays-in-Vegas kind of attitude" and claimed that they'd seen him get "very handsy with women" on different occasions. These claims became particularly problematic when he admitted in January 2025 that he paid $50,000 to settle a lawsuit with a woman accusing him of sexual assault.

Even Hegseth's own mother, Penelope Hegseth, has said she feels he has been terrible to women. In November 2024, The New York Times published the text of an email she'd sent her son in 2018 in which she wrote: "You are an abuser of women — that is the ugly truth and I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around, and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains me and embarrasses me to say that, but it is the sad, sad truth."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

While Pete Hegseth hasn't gone for the full "Mar-A-Lago face" trend just yet, that doesn't mean he hasn't gotten some work done to combat wrinkles and fine lines. As the former Fox News anchor has railed against unfit soldiers in the military and instituted controversial new grooming rules for the armed forces, his own vanity has been on display in his suspiciously smooth and crease-free forehead. According to a report from the Daily Mail in October 2025, an unnamed source said that Hegseth got Botox injections.

"It's all an ego play for Pete," the source claimed. "He's always been full of himself but lately his ego is off the charts. ... He's obsessed with his body and now he wants to create the entire military in his image." According to the outlet, his department was asked to comment on the Botox claims, but chose to insult the outlet for writing the story instead of actually confirming or denying the report itself. That being said, unfiltered close-up photos of Hegseth's face have done nothing to help the persistent Botox rumors.

Hegseth's vanity also reportedly led to him spending several thousand dollars to get a make-up room installed in an office next to the press briefing room at the Pentagon, so he can get touch-ups before speaking to reporters. While this wouldn't be that odd, Hegseth still responded defensively to the report on X, calling it a "totally fake story."

Pete Hegseth's history of over-indulging in the consumption of alcohol has supposedly been a concern for many in Donald Trump's administration, and for many of Hegseth's former Fox News colleagues. Several people who had worked with Hegseth during his time as an anchor spoke with NBC News in December 2024, and recalled him allegedly smelling of alcohol and complaining of being hungover before and during broadcasts. It was also claimed that his excessive drinking proved problematic in Hegseth's work with a non-profit organization.

The New Yorker uncovered a whistleblower's report that claimed that Hegseth, while serving as the president of Concerned Veterans for America, was "repeatedly intoxicated while acting in his official capacity — to the point of needing to be carried out of the organization's events." Although Hegseth and his reps have repeatedly denied claims that he's had a problem with alcohol. A Trump administration spokesperson told NBC News, "These disgusting allegations are completely unfounded and false."

Trump Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, said he doesn't have a drinking problem. Here he is drinking on the job during a New Years Eve Fox News broadcast 2 years ago.

Hegseth (and his children) also drank out of the dunk tank which was filled with champagne. pic.twitter.com/SLv3GQ7ndP

— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) December 31, 2024

The allegations of excessive imbibing, however, have cast several past moments in Hegseth's career in a different light. For example, his 2023 New Year's Eve festivities seem particularly problematic in this context. While working for Fox News, Hegseth was dropped into a dunk tank that was filled with alcohol. He emerged soaking wet with a bottle of champagne in his hand, which he proceeded to chug from before scooping handfuls of the dunk tank booze directly into his gaping maw. This awkward moment of carefree indulgence likely didn't help rumors about his relationship with responsible drinking.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

When Pete Hegseth shared a video of himself coming out of a pool, dripping wet and shirtless, what appeared to be a blatant (and misguided) thirstrap post sparked controversy because of the giant tattoos inked across his body. Hegseth has a massive Jerusalem cross tattooed on his chest, which was a symbol used by the Crusaders amid bloody conflicts in the middle ages.

Hegseth also has the words "Deus Vult" tattooed on his arm, which translates to the infamous Crusaders' battle cry of "God wills it." These are just two of the many, many tattoos Hegseths sports that are widely associated with far right extremist groups, Christian nationalists, and white supremacist organizations. At the very least, some of his tattoos have led critics to accuse him of promoting Islamophobia and religious intolerance.

His tattoos have gotten Hegseth in hot water in the past. In 2021, Hegseth — a former National Guardsman — volunteered to work security at Joe Biden's inauguration. However, members of his own unit supposedly reported him as a potential extremist threat due to his tattoos (per Axios), and he was subsequently barred from the inauguration. Hegseth himself has retold this story several times as an example of being discriminated against because of his faith, although it feels a bit more like self-incrimination than he might have intended.