Eric Swalwell’s spouse was recently spotted again without her wedding band, as fresh insights surface regarding their marriage’s downfall, while the embattled congressman remains out of the public eye.
In exclusive photographs obtained by the Daily Mail, Brittany Watts, 41, was seen picking up coffee near their Washington DC residence on Thursday morning. Her left hand was conspicuously ring-free, fueling speculation about the status of their nine-year union.
During her solitary coffee stop at Union Kitchen, the mother of three opted for a low-key appearance, donning a green hoodie, jeans, a camouflage baseball cap, and sunglasses.
This latest sighting coincides with reports suggesting Watts was caught off guard by the recent surge of sexual assault allegations aimed at her husband, who until recently had cultivated an image as a devoted family man and promising figure in the Democratic Party.
According to sources speaking to the Daily Mail, the scandal has significantly affected Watts, as she grapples with protecting their young children: Eric ‘Nelson’, aged nine, Kathryn ‘Cricket’, aged seven, and Hank, aged four.
“Eric has faced some serious accusations. How does one cope with that?” a family friend remarked on Friday.
‘You can see in Brittany’s face what an emotional and physical toll this has taken on her. For heaven’s sake, she has three young children.
‘How does she explain this mess to them?’
Brittany Swalwell was seen trying to keep a low-profile on Thursday while given a clear view of her ringless finger
The wife of disgraced former congressman Eric Swalwell was spotted wearing sunglasses, a camouflage baseball cap and a green hoodie during her coffee run to Union Kitchen
Swalwell, who resigned last month, meanwhile has not been seen publicly since the scandal erupted and the pair are reported to be living separately
Another insider previously claimed Watts had ‘no knowledge of what was happening’ and felt as though Swalwell had been ‘strategic at living a double life’ and ‘had everyone fooled’, according to People magazine.
Earlier this week, Watts – who married the embattled Democrat in October 2016 – was first seen ditching her ring as she emerged from the couple’s DC home.
She was not eager to discuss the state of her marriage when the Daily Mail asked her about the missing band.
‘I have no comment,’ she said at the door of the couple’s two-story home in northeast Washington DC.
But Watts gave the ultimate insult to her San Francisco Giants-supporting husband when she stepped out wearing a bright pink New York Yankees cap. The camo cap she opted for on Thursday was also in support of the NYC team.
Swalwell has previously said that his deepest lifelong allegiance is with the Giants, and that he was ‘practically raised’ by the team’s long-time first baseman Will Clark.
Swalwell was engulfed in controversy last month when at least four women accused him of rape and sexual misconduct, which he denies.
Two of the women said he had sent them unsolicited pictures of his penis, which he has also denied.
The sighting came days amid reports the mom-of-three was left ‘blindsided’ by the allegations against her husband
Watts is seen wearing her wedding band in an undated photo from social media
Two days after the initial allegations he dropped out of the race for California governor and the following day resigned from Congress before an attempt to expel him had time to be launched.
Two days after that Watts and the couple’s three children were spotted in Cabo, soaking up the sun, but Swalwell was nowhere to be seen in the Mexican resort town.
And the normally ubiquitous presence on cable TV has not been spotted in public since.
Watts left the couple’s house Tuesday morning to help the couple’s nanny with their three children. Her husband was not seen.
Swalwell, 46, met Watts when they were introduced by mutual friends in 2015.
He has regularly expressed his love for her online.
One February 14 Instagram message he posted said simply ‘Lucky to call her my Valentine. Today and every day.’
The Democratic congressman dropped out of the race last month after 50 former members of his staff joined a growing chorus of politicians calling for him to resign from his position and suspend his gubernatorial campaign.
Earlier this week, Watts was seen solo at couple’s DC home, first seen in this Daily Mail exclusive
Swalwell resigned from Congress and ended his gubernatorial campaign after accusations of sexual assault, Lonna Drewes, pictured above, accused him of rape at a press conference; he had denied the allegations
‘I am suspending my campaign for Governor,’ Swalwell said in a statement on X.
‘To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past.’
He continued: ‘I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made – but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.’
The bombshell move came after a woman who worked for two years for Swalwell claimed she had sexual encounters with him while he was her boss.
The former staffer claimed he raped her twice while she was intoxicated in 2019 and 2024.
Another woman, Lonna Drewes, alleged the California lawmaker drugged and raped her in 2018.
President Trump weighed in for the first time on the allegations in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail.
‘He’s a sleazebag,’ Trump said. ‘Always has been. He’s a long timer, and he’s a bad guy. I don’t know anything about the charges, but he’s a bad guy.’
The Democratic congressman, 46, met Watts when they were introduced by mutual friends in 2015. She is seen here with her husband wearing her wedding band
Last November Watts straightened her husband’s jacket prior to an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live when he announced his run for California Governor. Watts was still wearing her wedding band
Swalwell had been one of Trump’s most vocal critics in Congress, accusing the President of colluding with Russia during the 2016 election.
He also served as an impeachment manager during Trump’s second trial in 2021.
‘He’s always been a bad guy, he’s a corrupt politician, and everyone knows it, so it’s happening to him, and we’ll see what happens. Right? Let him go defend himself,’ Trump added.
Two criminal investigations into the assault claims against Swalwell have been started by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Swalwell has denied any wrongdoing in connection with the rape and sexual assault allegations.
But the former lawmaker at the same time acknowledged making ‘mistakes in judgment’ and apologized to his wife.
The accusations against Swalwell destroyed his political career and prompted calls for further investigations from both parties.
Prior to the scandal, Swalwell’s attorneys sent a cease-and-desist letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, seeking to block the release of the agency’s investigative files into the lawmaker’s past relationship with an alleged Chinese spy.
Swalwell had represented the San Francisco Bay Area in Congress since 2012 and has been one of former President Donald Trump’s most outspoken critics
Christine Fang, a Chinese national, was suspected of engaging in intelligence on behalf of the Chinese government by cultivating relationships with politicians, including Swalwell.
In 2015, she reportedly helped Swalwell with fundraising and finding an intern for his office.
He cut all ties to her in 2015 after an FBI investigation. Swalwell has not been accused by law enforcement of any wrongdoing regarding this matter.
After the scandal broke, Swalwell was removed by then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy from the House Intelligence Committee in 2023.
