A rumor that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s cousin said the family banned Hegseth from their Christmas celebrations circulated online in December 2025.
For example, the Instagram user @smallplatesig posted a video (archived) titled “My cousin Pete is banned from family events. Here’s why:”
According to the user, Hegseth was no longer allowed at family Christmas “because he is a danger to himself and others.” The user proceeded to recount several alleged incidents at family parties that reportedly ended with Hegseth taking a trip to the hospital.
Variations of the rumor spread mainly on Instagram (archived, archived) as well as on Facebook (archived) and X (archived).
The claim was labeled satire. The user included the hashtag #satiregram in the post caption and said in the video that “This is just satire.” According to the account’s bio, which said “It’s satire,” @smallplatesig is a comedian.
Snopes found no evidence the user was in fact Hegseth’s cousin and no reputable reports that Hegseth’s family had banned him from their Christmas celebrations (archived, archived, archived, archived).
The fictional story spread as Hegseth faced questions over the legality of strikes on suspected drug trafficking boats near Venezuela and surrounding countries. In particular, legal experts questioned the legality of a Sept. 2, 2025, “double tap” strike that killed the survivors of an initial strike.
Snopes has addressed other claims about Hegseth in the past, including the assertion that he needed medical attention after poking himself in the eye with a mascara brush and a rumor that the professional golfer Tiger Woods sued Hegseth for $50 million.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.
