Vice President J.D. Vance is shutting down rumors about his marriage after his wife, Usha, was spotted without her wedding ring, igniting online speculation about the couple’s relationship.
The chatter began when photographs captured the second lady ringless during a public event with First Lady Melania Trump in November. She appeared without it again during a visit to Joint Base Andrews earlier this month.
That was all it took for Beltway gossip to erupt and claims of marital trouble to spread online. Vance says the rumor mill could not be more wrong.
Usha’s spokesperson dismissed the talk as meaningless and pointed out a simple reason for the missing jewelry. The second lady “does a lot of dishes, gives lots of baths, and forgets her ring sometimes.”
Vance told NBC News that he and his wife are amused by the speculation and hardly stressed about it.
“I think that we kind of get a kick out of it,” Vance said on Thursday.
He added that public life comes with scrutiny and that his family understands the sacrifice. “You accept that there are some sacrifices and there are some very good things that come along with it, too. But our marriage is as strong as it’s ever been.”
Vance said Usha has embraced her role despite the spotlight. “She’s really taken to it, and it’s been kind of cool to see how she’s developed and evolved.”
The vice president admitted that the attention can still be difficult, especially with young children involved, according to Trending Politics.
“I’m not going to pretend that it isn’t. But it’s the sacrifice that we signed up for.”
Vance also explained why Usha chose not to run back upstairs for her ring before a White House event with Melania Trump. The couple was rushing out the door and decided it simply was not worth the delay.
“She was like, ‘If I don’t go back and get them, there’s going to be some ridiculous psycho who talks about it on social media,’” Vance said he told her. “And I was like, ‘Let them.’”
The spotlight on Usha intensified earlier in the fall after online speculation about a photograph of Vance hugging Erika Kirk at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service. That moment sparked a round of gossip that Vance said never should have happened.
The rumor mill spun further when Vance noted publicly that he encouraged his wife to convert to Catholicism. He later clarified online that Usha “is not Christian and has no plans to convert.”
Vance and Usha married in 2014 and have three children. She has rarely stepped into the media attention, preferring to remain focused on her work and her family.
Usha is now leading a childhood literacy initiative as part of her role, something Vance says she has embraced wholeheartedly.
“It’s been amazing to see her really lean into this child literacy thing,” Vance said, calling her efforts inspiring and admirable.
The vice president says the gossip will not distract them. The family intends to keep moving forward and stay committed to the work they signed up for together.
