Before he was named transportation secretary by President Donald Trump, Sean Duffy was already playing a far more important role: husband, father of nine, and full-time family man.
Behind the headlines and Fox News appearances is a real-life love story that started in the most unexpected place — MTV.
Now, more than two decades and nine kids later, Sean and Rachel Campos-Duffy are still going strong, balancing politics, media, and a deeply faith-centered home life.
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From MTV Castmates to Married Life
Long before Capitol Hill and cable news, Sean and Rachel were just two twenty-somethings navigating the wild world of 1990s reality TV. Rachel starred on The Real World: San Francisco while Sean appeared on The Real World: Boston. Their paths officially crossed in 1998 during MTV’s Road Rules: All Stars, a spin-off that brought former cast members together for a cross-country adventure.
It wasn’t love at first sight. In fact, Rachel once joked that Sean spent most of that month-long trip “flirting” while she stayed guarded. But Sean didn’t give up, calling, visiting, and racking up long-distance phone bills to win her over.
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After five months of friendship, everything changed over a simple breakfast. “We laughed the whole time,” Rachel recalled. By the end of the meal, she told him, “I’m going to marry you.” And she did, in 1999.
Meet the Duffy Family: Nine Kids, Endless Joy
Today, the Duffy household is full of energy, love, and nine children: Evita Pilar, Xavier Jack, Lucia-Belen, John-Paul, Paloma Pilar, MariaVictoria Margarita, Margarita Pilar, Patrick Miguel, and Valentina StellaMaris.
Rachel once told National Review that they never set out to have a specific number of kids. “They just kind of happened,” she said, calling each child a blessing from God. And yes, even baby number nine came as a surprise. “I thought I was getting a little old. But apparently not!”
Their youngest, Valentina, was born with Down syndrome and a heart defect. It was a reality that led Sean to step down from Congress in 2019.
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“Our baby… will need even more love, time, and attention,” he wrote in a heartfelt resignation letter. “With much prayer, I have decided that this is the right time for me to take a break from public service.”
For Sean, being there for family birthdays, hockey games, and doctor’s visits wasn’t optional. It was essential.
Family, Faith, and Staying Grounded
Faith is at the core of the Duffy family. Both Sean and Rachel are devout Roman Catholics and believe their marriage is the foundation of their home.
“Our family is only as strong as our marriage,” Rachel told National Review.
They attend mass together, pray as a family, and credit their shared faith for helping them stay grounded through parenting, politics, and media life. As Rachel once said in a Fox News interview:
“Marriage is tough enough, and having the same faith takes away a lot of potential disagreements.”
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A Love Story Still Going Strong
From the fire of reality TV to the halls of Congress and the Fox News studio, Sean and Rachel Campos-Duffy have built a life few could’ve predicted, but many admire. As Trump himself said when naming Duffy to his cabinet:
“The husband of a wonderful woman, Rachel Campos-Duffy, a STAR on Fox News, and the father of nine incredible children…”
And through it all, they’ve remained a team, leaning into their values, raising their children with love, and proving that even the most unlikely love stories can last a lifetime.
