Pete Hegseth’s Mother Accuses Him of Abusing Women in 2018 Email

Pete Hegseth, the nominee for Secretary of Defense, has been embroiled in a controversy following the revelation of an email written by his mother, Penelope Hegseth, in 2018. In the email, Mrs. Hegseth accused her son of being an abuser of women, citing a pattern of behavior that included dishonesty, infidelity, and emotional abuse.

The email was sent during a tumultuous period in Pete Hegseth’s life, as he was going through a contentious divorce from his second wife, Samantha Hegseth. Samantha filed for divorce after discovering that Pete had impregnated a co-worker, which was part of a larger pattern of adultery that dated back to his first marriage.

In the email, Mrs. Hegseth expressed her deep disappointment and embarrassment over her son’s actions, stating that he had a history of mistreating women and that it was a “sad, sad truth” that he had been an abuser for years. However, she immediately followed up the email with an apology, attributing her initial message to anger and emotion.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Mrs. Hegseth defended her son and disavowed the sentiments expressed in the initial email. She described publishing the email as “disgusting” and reaffirmed that Pete Hegseth is a good father and husband.

The email was obtained by The New York Times from a person with ties to the Hegseth family and was forwarded to Samantha Hegseth the same night it was sent to Pete Hegseth. The contents of the email have sparked significant controversy, particularly given Pete Hegseth’s current nomination for a high-profile government position.