Usha Vance has finally responded to the swirling rumors about her marriage after she was recently photographed without her wedding ring.
Usha, married to U.S. Vice President JD Vance since 2014, shares three children with him. The couple has also been deeply involved in supporting Erika Kirk following the assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk, in September. Usha has even been seen on multiple occasions holding Erika’s hand as she grieves.
JD has been equally present, recently attending a Turning Point USA event at Erika’s invitation. When Erika introduced him on stage, she drew a striking comparison between the vice president and her late husband.
“No one will ever replace my husband,” she said.
“But I do see certain similarities in JD — Vice President JD Vance. And I’m grateful I get to introduce him tonight.”
When JD joined her on stage, they shared a hug that quickly ignited controversy online.
Erika placed her hand on the back of his head during the embrace—a gesture many viewers labeled “too intimate.”
One person tweeted, “I have never wanted to touch any man’s hair during a hug except my husband’s. This is weird.”
Another asked, “Why would she touch the Vice President’s hair/head like that?”
Body language expert Traci Brown echoed the public’s reaction, calling the interaction “super intimate.” Speaking to HuffPost, she explained, “Running fingers through someone’s hair is deeply personal and beyond that, it directs his attention. She’s controlling what he’s focusing on.”
Not long after the viral moment, Usha appeared publicly without her wedding ring. She was seen on Wednesday (November 19) visiting Camp Lejeune, a major military training base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, alongside First Lady Melania Trump.
