White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is a MAGA star, and she’s proven her credibility with her attention-grabbing press briefings over the last few months. As the youngest press secretary at 27, she has retained the spotlight for her precise articulation of thoughts, her confidence, presence of mind, and oh, all the speculation of her personal life after marrying a man who is 32 years older than her.
The mother of one recently faced backlash after she shared several Instagram Stories on Sunday that appeared to feature husband Nicholas Riccio’s body, his arms, legs, and even feet but deliberately cropped out his face. In one photo, the couple’s 16-month-old son, Niko, is seen playing atop a blanket, reaching for a toy from someone lying down who appears to be Riccio.
Another image, captioned “coffee + play time in bed” with a heart emoji, again showed Riccio dressed in black, but the face was cropped out.
The move comes after a November 2 post featuring Leavitt, Riccio, and their pumpkin-costumed son, which sparked accusations from followers that she had airbrushed her husband’s face to make him look younger.
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According to The Daily Beast, the cheerful post came with a series of mixed comments from the netizens. “The airbrushing of your husband’s face was the real trick,” one user commented. Another added, “His hands look 60+, but his face looks 40. What’s going on?”
Karoline Leavitt, who often shares glimpses of her family life with her 2.6 million followers, posted a thread of church outings, post-service cinnamon rolls, and cozy moments at home with her son Niko. One church picture included a Bible verse with a man’s suede shoes visible in the corner.
She is a devoted Catholic and has been open about the role of faith in her success and position today. The former New Hampshire congressional candidate also wears a small cross necklace, which is often spotted during her press briefings, showing her deep connection to her faith.
According to Trang Do, founder of custom jewelry brand Kimjoux, this change in her beliefs and perspectives might carry a more profound significance. Talking to The Mirror about the same, Trang said, “Jewelry has long served as more than a simple accessory; instead, it is a language of identity, memory, and meaning.
Karoline Leavitt’s choice to wear a silver cross necklace is a subtle yet powerful statement that bridges personal narrative with cultural symbolism, and she’s rarely seen without it.”
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When the 27-year-old was spotted without the silver cross necklace during a press briefing in October, many people questioned her stance as a religious person, as she completely aligns with conservative views.
Nicholas Ricco met Karoline Leavitt through a mutual friend while on her fiancé’s committee when she ran for Congress in 2022. Previously, Leavitt described her relationship with the real estate developer as “a very atypical love story.”
The pair married in January after welcoming their son in July 2024. Leavitt has always spoken very highly of Ricco and ignored the trolls like a pro. According to the Daily Mail, she describes her husband as an “introvert” who likes to avoid the spotlight and retain his privacy.
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The businessman was raised in a low-income family in New Hampshire and lived with his parents and siblings. He faced many ups and downs in life, but he never gave up. He was ambitious, passionate and wanted to do something remarkable in life. Today, he is the proud owner of his company, Riccio Enterprises LLC, which manages luxury beachfront properties in New Hampshire.
“He’s built a very successful business himself,” Leavitt told host Megyn Kelly earlier this year on her show. “Now he’s fully supportive of me building my success in my career.”
