Karoline Leavitt, the former White House press secretary, addressed her 32-year age-gap marriage to husband Nicholas Riccio during a social media session on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026. Responding to a follower's request for advice on age-gap relationships, Leavitt described marrying Riccio as the best decision she has made and encouraged others to follow their hearts regardless of outside criticism.
Leavitt, 29, and Riccio, 61, met in 2022 through a mutual friend while Leavitt was campaigning for a congressional seat in New Hampshire. Riccio works as a real estate developer. The couple became engaged in 2023 and married in 2025. They have two children together.
The remarks follow Leavitt's departure from her government role earlier this year. Leavitt, who was the youngest person to hold the position of White House press secretary, announced her resignation on Aug. 12. At the time, she stated that the demands of the office prevented her from providing the necessary time and attention to her two young children following the birth of her daughter.
The scale of this transition involves a single high-level vacancy in the White House communications office, which manages information for a global audience and hundreds of accredited journalists. For the general public, the most concrete change will be observed by viewers of Fox News, where Leavitt is scheduled to begin appearing as an on-air contributor. Starting Nov. 1, 2026, viewers will see Leavitt in a new capacity as a commentator rather than a government spokesperson. This moves her from a taxpayer-funded position to a role within a private media corporation.
The precedent set by Leavitt's departure highlights the intersection of federal service and family obligations, as she explicitly cited the inability to balance the two as her reason for leaving. This career shift reflects a common transition path for former press secretaries into broadcast journalism. The next significant date is Nov. 1, 2026, when Leavitt's role as an on-air contributor begins. No further government actions or court dates related to this matter have been reported.