Sad Life Details About JD Vance's Wife Usha

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Despite her initial reluctance to step into the spotlight, Usha Vance has become a household name. However, let's just say that hasn't always been for the happiest of reasons. Between racist attacks on her marriage and broken friendships, Usha has faced a number of hurdles since her husband joined forces with Donald Trump — and it's all been incredibly public. 

We'll start with Usha's open hesitation at the prospect of becoming second lady. Speaking to "Fox & Friends" ahead of the 2024 Republican National Convention, the lawyer opened up about dealing with having her and her family's lives dissected in the past, when JD Vance campaigned for the Senate for the first time. Our body language expert spotted a blip of tension from Usha, but she also made it clear in her own words that she wasn't super enthusiastic about things ramping up again, let alone on an even bigger scale. "I guess the way that I put it is, I'm not raring to change anything about our lives right now," she told the outlet. 

Of course, things have changed for the Vance family, and Usha did mention in her and JD's joint interview with "Fox & Friends" that she'd support her husband if he did get the job as Trump's VP. "I really, you know, believe in JD, and I really love him. And so we'll just sort of see what happens with our lives," she said. Unfortunately for Usha, some of what's happened includes attacks on her character and her personal beliefs becoming headline news. And, as she said in an interview of her own with "Fox & Friends," while she tries to avoid watching the news, every now and again, she does see some of the negative feedback, which she admitted "can be hard."

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Heartbreakingly, one of the many things Usha Vance has had to contend with as a public figure is racism. One particularly abhorrent criticism came from white supremacist Nick Fuentes, who complained that JD Vance couldn't promote white identity when he was in an interracial marriage and had given his children Indian names. Ick. 

JD first responded to the complaint in a conversation with "The Megyn Kelly Show," saying of his wife, "Obviously, she's not a white person, and we've been accused, attacked by some white supremacists over that. But I just, I love Usha." JD went on to say, "Her experience has given me some perspective on the way in which it's really hard for working families in this country." Unsurprisingly, the wishy-washy statement got a lot of heat, and Donald Trump's running mate later gave a more direct response. In an interview with CBS News' "Face the Nation," he clapped back hard, saying, "I think the guy's a total loser." We agree. 

In the same "Face the Nation" interview, JD also pointed out that while he'd decided to become a public figure, the same couldn't be said for Usha. "She's out of their league — the people who are attacking her. So I wish they would just keep their mouth shut or at least focus on me," he continued. Even so, he shared that he preferred to ignore racists when they said anything. "A lot of losers are going to attack me and attack my family. I think the proper response to them is to ignore them," he mused. Some may think that's not enough — though given Usha herself has emphasized that she prefers not to read or see negative news, it's possible that's something they both feel strongly about.

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Even with JD Vance's second, more overt disavowal of Nick Fuentes and other white supremacists who take issue with his marriage, he has certainly made some eyebrow-raising comments himself. Exhibit A: his response to far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, who made an incredibly racist comment that the White House would "smell like curry" if Kamala Harris won the 2024 election. JD's retort? "I make a mean chicken curry. I don't think that it's insulting for anybody to talk about their dietary preferences or what they want to do in the White House," he told NBC News. Yes. That was his response. 

Unsurprisingly, many have pointed to JD's comments as one of the weird things about his and Usha's marriage, and some opinion pieces have even called Usha out for standing by her husband. Others have mused that Usha shares her husband's views and that that's why she's remained with him and not spoken out against some of what he's said. It does bear mentioning, though, that Usha has alluded in the past to that not being the case. Asked in her "Fox & Friends" interview if they agreed on everything, Usha responded, "No. We're two different people; we have lots of different backgrounds and interests and things like that, so we come to different conclusions all the time." 

That said, a friend of the couple has acknowledged Usha's transformation and said that both JD and Usha have had a "shift in views," per The Cut, so perhaps they don't differ that much after all. Either way, even if they do, Usha did point out to "Fox & Friends" that she enjoyed debating with her husband, whom she met in law school. "That's part of the fun of being married," she smiled. 

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Another friend who noticed how much the Vances have changed? Sofia Nelson, a friend of the couple's, who came out against JD Vance in a very public way. Some may already know that Nelson shared their emails with JD to The New York Times and did a number of interviews talking about JD's transformation since becoming a politician. And while the situation has certainly been more pointed towards JD, it's affected Usha in a big way as well. 

Speaking about the loss of the friendship on "Fox & Friends", Usha mused, "It is hard to know that sometimes politics comes in the way of friendships." She continued, "It is hurtful, and it is sad." Even so, she was incredibly gracious in her response, pointing out that she and JD had been the subjects of much speculation, and she didn't want to feed into that and cause anyone else to feel the way they had felt when it happened to them. "These are people that I care about. I can't speak to why they say what they say or do what they do, but I care about them, and I wish them well," she said. 

As for Usha's note that both she and JD had been the target of unkind things said by friends, it's possible she was referring to an unnamed friend who drew some very serious conclusions about her mental health in a piece by The Cut. "It didn't seem like things got to her that much, and she was never very vulnerable ... I kind of wonder if she's a sociopath," they'd said. Yikes. Usha has never directly responded to that particular sentiment, but we have no doubts that she was hurt to hear of it. 

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Usha Vance might not want to go into detail about feeling misrepresented in the press when it comes to friends, but she has been fairly vocal when it comes to her husband. Such was the case when he made his infamous "childless cat ladies" comment. ICYMI, back in 2021, JD complained to Tucker Carlson (obvs) that, "We're effectively run, in this country ... by a bunch of childless cat ladies, who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made." JD has not apologized, choosing instead to tell NBC News that he has no regrets. Enter, Usha. 

Speaking on "Fox & Friends," Usha looked visibly annoyed when giving her take on it, noting, "I took a moment to look and actually see what he had said, and try to understand what the context was and all that, which is something that I really wish people would do a little bit more often." She then shared that she agreed with the point JD had been making about it being difficult to start a family under U.S. government policies. Usha also pointed out that she and her husband had loved ones who'd struggled to conceive, and that made it even less likely for JD to have meant it maliciously. 

Unfortunately, not everyone is convinced, and a number of celebs have made it clear they can't stand JD. Notably, Glenn Close — who played JD's Mamaw in the film adaptation of his autobiography — is one of his critics. Taking to Instagram, the actor shared a picture of herself holding her own cat, along with the caption, "Eve would have left a bleeding mouse head in the bed of anyone who criticized any kind of lady with a CAT!" Usha did not respond. 

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On to a sad detail that isn't all that bad for Usha Vance herself, JD Vance has spoken about converting to Catholicism after they married and what that's meant for his wife. Speaking to The New York Times, JD pointed out that Usha had been incredibly supportive of his decision to become Catholic but that he'd felt bad about it. "I feel terrible for my wife because we go to church almost every Sunday, unless we're on the road," he told the outlet. More specifically, he acknowledged that Usha — who has not converted — ended up becoming the primary caregiver to their kids while they were there. "Obviously I help with the kids, but because I'm kind of the one going to church, she feels more responsibility to keep the kids quiet in the church. And I just felt kind of bad," he said. 

As for Usha, she hasn't spoken about keeping a rein on the kids and whether that upsets her. However, she has been very open in saying she was glad JD found his religion. In her and JD's interview with "Fox & Friends," she explained, "I did grow up in a religious household. My parents are Hindu, and that was one of the things that made them such good parents, that made them very good people. And so, I think I've seen that, the power of that in my own life."

In the same interview, Usha also smiled about finding ways to blend both Catholicism and Hinduism in their home, sharing that they managed to do so by constantly communicating. Well, we're glad it works for her — and even if her husband is concerned, it's certainly not a sad detail for her.