In the wake of online criticism regarding the alleged digital alteration of a family photograph, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has shared new images on social media that strategically omit the face of her husband, 60-year-old real estate developer Nicholas Riccio. The 28-year-old political figure’s recent Instagram stories presented a series of carefully framed pictures where Riccio was present but not fully visible, a move that follows accusations of her photoshopping his appearance in a prior post.
The controversy began with a slideshow Leavitt posted on November 2, which featured a family portrait of herself, Riccio, and their 16-month-old son, Niko, who was dressed in a pumpkin costume. The post, shared with her more than 2.6 million followers, quickly drew comments from users who speculated that Riccio’s face had been edited to appear younger. One commenter wrote, “The airbrushing of your hubs face to make him appear younger was the trick.” Another user offered a more detailed observation, stating, “Karoline, Awesome picture but my friends noticed something: The guy on the left seems to have only his face photoshopped. His hands look like 60+ years old. What happened?” These remarks highlighted a perceived inconsistency between the appearance of Riccio’s face and his hands, fueling a debate in the comments section of the post.
In response to the public scrutiny, a new series of images appeared on Leavitt’s Instagram account on a recent Sunday. These photos documented a day of family activities but featured a notable change in composition. While Riccio appeared to be a part of the day’s events, his face was cropped out of every shot. One photo, captioned “coffee + play time in bed” with a white heart emoji, showed the couple’s son on a bed, reaching for a toy held by a man presumed to be Riccio, whose body is visible but whose head is cut off by the top of the frame.
Another image, taken during what Leavitt described as “Sunday service,” showed a Bible verse. In the corner of the photograph, a man’s suede shoes can be seen resting on the carpet, presumably belonging to Riccio. The series of stories also included more conventional content, such as Leavitt preparing cinnamon rolls after church, watching football with her son, a picture of the family’s Christmas tree, and a mirror selfie in which she holds Niko on her hip. The deliberate cropping in the photos involving her husband stood in stark contrast to these other, more standard social media updates. Leavitt’s office did not issue an immediate response to requests for comment regarding the photo controversy or her recent posts.
Karoline Leavitt’s career has been marked by a rapid ascent in politics, culminating in her appointment as the youngest White House press secretary in history. Before her role in the current administration, she was a congressional candidate in her home state of New Hampshire. Her personal life has also garnered public interest, particularly her relationship with Riccio.
In a March appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show, Leavitt described their meeting as “a very atypical love story.” She recounted how their paths first crossed in 2022. “A mutual friend of ours hosted an event at a restaurant that he owns up in New Hampshire and invited my husband,” Leavitt explained. “I was speaking. We met and we were acquainted as friends. And then we fell in love.”
The couple’s relationship progressed quickly. They welcomed their son, Niko, in July of last year and were married in January of this year. Riccio is a successful real estate magnate in New Hampshire, where his company, Riccio Enterprises LLC, specializes in managing beachfront properties. Leavitt has spoken publicly about her husband’s support for her demanding career. “He’s built a very successful business himself, so now he’s fully supportive of me building my success in my career,” she told Kelly. The recent events on social media place this private relationship under a public microscope, illustrating the unique pressures faced by political figures who maintain an active and personal presence online.
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