6 Times JD & Usha Vance Had Divorce Rumors Flying

When JD and Usha Vance married in 2014, they likely had no idea that their marriage would one day be fodder for the rumor mill. The two met at Yale Law School around 2010, and although Vance would go on to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate, in those early days, the two likely weren't concerned about invasions of their privacy or what outsiders might have to say about their relationship. But of course, all that changed when JD became the Vice President.

Although there are plenty of glaring red flags in their marriage that are hard to ignore — like being from opposite ends of the political spectrum — the couple still manages to keep trucking on with smiles on their faces. Publicly, the two appear supportive of each other, and Vance has often praised his wife and her positive influence on him. "She seemed some sort of genetic anomaly, a combination of every positive quality a human being should have: bright, hardworking, tall, and beautiful," Vance wrote of Usha in his 2016 memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," via The New York Times, adding that had she not been so charming, she would've been a perfect heroine in any Ayn Rand novel. "But she had a great sense of humor and an extraordinarily direct way of speaking," wrote Vance.

While we'll never really know what goes on at the Vances' home, divorce rumors persist. If you're looking for political drama, look no further than JD and Usha. After all, Usha gave up her career for this life, and that alone doesn't bode well.

Although there will be instances in any relationship where one partner might embarrass the other, when it's done on a global stage, it's different. Also, when it's done repeatedly, it's easy to see how divorce rumors might start. After all, no one wants to be the butt of their partner's jokes.

In 2024, when JD Vance was on the "Full Send" podcast, he shared the extensive vetting process involved in becoming VP. As Vance explained, Usha was there by his side, and the lawyer told him that some of the questions would be uncomfortable, which Vance was okay with. One of those questions was whether Vance had a secret family. "I'm like, 'Are you serious? Do I have any secret family?'" he said on the podcast, while enjoying a laugh about it. "Oh, by the way, if I did, I'm not going to admit it in front of my wife right now."

If that weren't enough, Vance defended a member of DOGE who'd been fired for past tweets like, "I was racist before it was cool," and "Normalize Indian hate," via MSNBC, then he suggested the staffer be re-hired. Considering Usha is Indian American, this is an absolute slap in the face to her and her family. More recently, in March 2025, while in Michigan, JD complimented Usha's job as Second Lady, but then said, "And here's the thing, the cameras are all on; anything I say, no matter how crazy, my wife Usha has to smile, laugh, and celebrate it." No one would blame Usha if she confronted her immature partner and let him go.

In September 2024, a TikToker named Aubrey posted a video alleging that Usha Vance had filed for divorce from JD Vance, had already retained counsel, and would be seeking full custody of the kids. According to the video, Usha released a public statement, saying she needed to leave her husband before the election, just in case he was to become vice president, because after that, divorce wouldn't be an option. Just when you think everything that's been said is legit, Aubrey drops a truth bomb. 

"See how easy that was?" Aubrey asked in her video. "See how easy it is to make up stories 24 hours before a presidential debate?" Aubrey also pointed out that most people only watch the first five to 10 seconds of a TikTok reel, move on, and never take the time to investigate if it's true.

What's so great about this post is that Aubrey was taking a page out of JD Vance's playbook, who, when there were allegations about the Haitian population in Ohio eating dogs and cats, said he had no problem with creating stories to get the attention of the media, via The Guardian. While Aubrey's intention was not only to play JD's game but to prove a point about how gullible our society has become, it did stoke another round of divorce rumors. If JD is such a big fan of creating stories (lying), then he and Usha may want to learn to laugh off divorce rumors. If Michelle and Barack can do it, so can JD and Usha.

As is the case with every holiday, whether it's a Hallmark holiday or not, politicians tend to take to social media. In most cases, if the holiday is personal to them on some level, like Mother's Day, that politician will give a shout-out to the mothers in their life. However, JD Vance failed to recognize Usha, with whom he has three children, in his Mother's Day post on X.

Instead, JD decided to take the Trump route and post a generic message, without highlighting Usha and the sacrifices that she, as well as all mothers, make. "Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there," JD posted. "We love you and are grateful for you!" Again, this is a slap in the face to a woman who's given up a lot — including her career — so JD can have 15 minutes of fame.

When Usha appeared on Fox News for Mother's Day, she talked about juggling motherhood and being Second Lady, also taking time to praise her own mom. "My mom does not often give direct advice, but I've learned from her example in countless ways," Usha told Fox. "One of her gifts as a parent is always making me feel like I have her full attention, no matter how busy she might be ... I've tried very hard to make my children feel the same way." Granted, Usha shared they'd be having a quiet Mother's Day, and JD would be, allegedly, making dessert, but his oversight couldn't be ignored.

In June 2025, Meghan McCain interviewed Usha Vance for an hour about her career — the one that's been put on hold — motherhood, and the future, among other things. As much as Vance put on a brave face, her demeanor didn't seem like she was thrilled to be there or where she is in her life at this moment, as she calmly rattled on about JD learning how to cook a few Indian dishes. But where she did light up a bit was when she talked about her career, what she learned, and what she took away from the experience.

As Vance explained to McCain, she never had an interest in being involved in politics and, for her, this four-year stint as Second Lady is likely to be just that: four years only. Vance made it clear that she didn't have any aspirations to be the First Lady, saying, "In a dream world, eventually I'll be able to live in my home and continue my career." While the interview was fairly somber, despite McCain's attempt to pick up the tempo, it did suggest that Vance isn't really into her position as Second Lady. It's hard to watch this interview without thinking that Vance might be counting down the days until she gets out of this life she's currently in — whether that means JD giving up politics or Usha joining the epic post-divorce glow-up club.

On August 2, 2025, JD Vance turned 41. In our culture, it's fairly normal to take to social media to wish a partner, best friend, mom, dad, or whoever else a happy birthday. But such was not the case for JD. Instead, Ms. Mar-A-Lago face herself, Kimberly Guilfoyle, posted a happy birthday message for him on her Instagram feed, as did the official White House Instagram account. Usha's Instagram account contains a post from July 29 where she's at the Ohio State Fair, then a photo from August 6, in which she's at NASA sharing her Summer Reading Challenge with Space Center Houston. This was certainly a "none for Gretchen Wieners" moment.

While one might speculate that such a thing might be payback for the lack of a shout-out on Mother's Day just a few months prior, it's also a bit hard to believe that Usha would be that petty. Still, not shouting out her husband's birthday was just another way of reinforcing rumors that maybe these two are headed for Splitsville. Which, to be honest, is what Usha should be thinking. She shouldn't have to navigate her partner's problematic behavior for the rest of her life, nor should she have to put her career aspirations on hold.

If you're a couple in the public eye and know that people are speculating about the state of your marriage, the last thing you should do is argue in a restaurant. However, JD and Usha Vance either didn't get the memo or were too riled up to care that they were making a spectacle of themselves. Either way, word got out fast about their dinner date.

Comedian Suzanne Lambert created an Instagram reel discussing some intel she got from a friend who's currently staying at a place that the Vances had recently been at. Although she kept the location a secret, for obvious reasons, she did say it was a conservative area, but the staff is mostly made up of "liberal twinks." Naturally, these twinks were super down to spill the tea about how awful Usha and JD were not just to each other, but to the waitstaff, too. In addition to failing basic restaurant etiquette, a waiter overheard Usha angrily telling JD, "THIS is what our life should actually be like," to which JD sheepishly said, "I know; I'm sorry." Of course, all of this is complete hearsay, but it's just one more log on the fire heating up the rumor mill.

Although it's not likely Usha will divorce JD while he's in office, here's hoping she'll make a move when the timing is right. When she's ready to drop that man, there's a boatload of divorce anthems to free her from the drama. There's also JFK's grandson, Jack Schlossberg.