J.D. Vance Reveals How He And His Wife React To Divorce Rumors After Viral Erika Kirk Hug
By Favour Adegoke on December 5, 2025 at 6:15 PM EST
Vice President J.D. Vance has finally addressed the rumors surrounding his marriage after a controversial hug with Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk.
The politician is married to Usha Vance, who was recently spotted attending an event without her wedding ring.
Despite speculation sparked by her missing ring, J.D. Vance insisted their marriage is as strong as ever, adding that he and his wife actually get a kick out of the rumors.
The Politician Is Committed To His Marriage
After weeks of speculation about J.D. Vance's marriage being on the rocks, the politician has finally addressed the rumors in a new interview.
Vance told NBC News that he and his wife, Usha, find the chatter amusing and aren't bothered by how much it continues to spread.
"I think that we kind of get a kick out of it," Vance told the outlet. "With anything in life, you take the good with the bad. You accept that there are some sacrifices and there are some very good things that come along with it, too."
The father of three also confirmed that he was still fully committed to his wife, whom he married in 2014.
"Our marriage is as strong as it's ever been, and I think Usha's really taken to it, and it's been kind of cool to see how she's developed and evolved in this new role," Vance added.
J.D. Vance Recalled An Instance When His Wife Forgot Her Ring
Elsewhere in the interview, Vance suggested it wasn't unusual for Usha to be seen without her ring.
He explained that the mother of three once noticed she had forgotten to put it back on while heading to the White House after taking it off for a shower.
In that moment, she panicked about what people thought, but the vice president said he reassured her.
"She was like, 'Oh, if I don't go back and get them, there's going to be some ridiculous psycho who talks about it on social media,'" the politician told the news outlet.
He added, "And I was like, let them. It's not even worth the trip to run back upstairs. So we actually have a little bit of fun with it. And we thought that whole viral social media cycle was kind of funny."
Usha Vance Dismissed The Divorce Rumors
Much of the recent rumors about Vance's marriage to Usha stemmed from her being spotted without her wedding ring during a visit to Camp Lejeune with First Lady Melania Trump on November 19.
However, a spokesperson for the second lady directly addressed the speculations surrounding her being spotted without her wedding ring, noting that Usha forgot to put on the piece of jewelry.
In a statement to People Magazine, the spokesperson said Usha is a "mother of three young children, who does a lot of dishes, gives lots of baths, and forgets her ring sometimes."
The Marriage Rumors Began After J.D. Vance's Viral Hug With Erika Kirk
Usha Vance's ringless outing came weeks after Vance was seen sharing an emotional hug with Erika Kirk, the wife of the late right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk.
The gesture, which lasted several seconds, quickly went viral, particularly because Erika held on to the politician tightly, with one hand across his head.
On social media, many netizens began speculating about whether there was more between Vance and Kirk, and those rumors have continued to circulate.
Moving forward, the politician plans to continue ignoring the rumors, despite how challenging it can be at times to be at the center of such drama.
"There are certainly ways in which it's difficult on the family. I'm not going to pretend that it isn't. But it's the sacrifice that we signed up for," Vance noted.
J.D. Vance Didn't Directly Address His Viral Hug With Erika Kirk
During the chat with the news outlet, Vance did not address the hug he shared with Erika at a Turning Point USA event.
However, the incident was discussed by Erika during a "Megyn Kelly Live" event.
According to the mother of two, the emotional hug was a result of her love language being touch, and she seemingly urged netizens not to read too much into the moment.
She also gave a play-by-play recollection of the entire moment, including what she and the Vice President discussed while sharing the hug.
"I'm walking over, he's walking over. I'm starting to cry," the TPUSA CEO shared with the listeners. "He says, 'He's so proud of you.' And I say, 'God bless you,' and I touched the back of his head."
Erika added, "Anyone who I have hugged, that I have touched the back of your head when I hug you, I always say, 'God bless you.' That's just me — if you want to take that out of context, go ahead."
