Jessica Reed Kraus is an American writer, Instagram influencer, and former mommyblogger who writes the Substack newsletter House Inhabit. The newsletter covers celebrity gossip, conspiracy theories, and American politics.[1][2] Krauss says she "lean[s] on gossip and anonymous sources...but the basic quest for truth, paired with a flexible narrative..."[3]
| Jessica Reed Kraus | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kraus speaking at a Turning Point USA event in June 2024 | |
| Personal information | |
| Occupation | Substack writer |
| Children | 4 |
| Instagram information | |
| Also known as | House Inhabit |
| Page | |
| Followers | 1,336,000 |
Updated: October 25, 2024 | |
Career
editKraus grew her Instagram account as a home improvement and lifestyle influencer, using the username @houseinhabit.[4] Her home had been featured on Martha Stewart's Instagram page, and Kraus and her husband sold items on Etsy like teepees for kids.[5]
The Britney Spears conservatorship case interested Kraus, so she began posting about it to a receptive audience. Using Venmo, Kraus solicited donations to fund travel, often staying with friends.[4][6] She attended the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell[3] in 2021, and the Harvey Weinstein abuse case in 2022, posting about them on Instagram Stories and her Substack.[4]
During the Depp v. Heard defamation trial between, Kraus posted daily updates on Instagram, often siding with actor Johnny Depp and criticizing his ex-wife Amber Heard.[3][7] Posting about the trial netted Kraus hundreds of thousands of followers.[3][4] During the trial, Kraus called Heard a liar, accusing her of "making a mockery of the #MeToo movement".[3] She posted stories about Heard's personal life.[2] She wrote on her newsletter that she spoke with Depp over the phone on the first day of the trial, through an "old friend" met over Instagram.[7] After the trial ended, Kraus wrote that she met Depp in person at a cocktail party, who thanked her for her writing.[3]
On March 15, 2024, Kraus shared false information via her Instagram stories about the health of Catherine, Princess of Wales. She claimed the information came from multiple sources. [8]
The House Inhabit Substack newsletter has 380,000 paid and free subscribers, with the Wall Street Journal estimating it generating $1 million in annual revenue.[2][5]
Political views
editKraus, previously considering herself "super liberal", became disillusioned with the Democratic party from COVID-19 lockdowns,[4] a change in what Mother Jones describes as Kraus becoming "increasingly conspiratorial".[5] Kraus moved to Substack during the COVID-19 pandemic, because of the lack of moderation.[1] She later was critical of the platform for removing five Nazi newsletters, which did so after pushback from users.[1]
Kraus has posted in approval of both Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump,[9] describing her own coverage of the two as less biased compared to mainstream media.[5] A fan of Kennedy, she regularly posted in support of him on her Instagram account and encouraging people at attend his campaign events. She praised the MAGA movement for being "always a good time": "They drink well, dress up, get loud, bedazzle the hell outta their accessories, love this country unapologetically, and believe that Donald Trump’s reign is a God-granted gift to save us from woke infestation and communism."[4]
She pitched to a Trump campaign aide to be a useful outlet, as her readership is primarily female and Trump's campaign had been seeking more influence in that demographic, which was accepted. The campaign, weeks later, invited Kraus to a Super Bowl party at Mar-a-Lago, where she posted dozens of times positively. According to Kraus, a Trump staffer commended her for her work in helping Trump win over women, compared to the mainstream media.[4]
Personal life
editKraus is not religious, and she has four children.[4][2] She is based in Southern California[6] and married to a man named Mike.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c Oremus, Will; Lorenz, Taylor (January 10, 2024). "Substack wanted to be neutral. Its tolerance of Nazis proved divisive". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e O'Brien, Sara Ashley (March 3, 2024). "She Was a Mommy Blogger. Now She's Covering Trump and Kennedy on the Trail—and Making a Fortune". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Jacob, Shamsian (June 2022). "Instagram influencer says Johnny Depp talked about 'death of journalistic integrity' in a phone call with her ahead of his defamation trial". Business Insider. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Tani, Max (February 25, 2024). "Why Trump and Kennedy are chasing Jessica Reed Kraus". Semafor. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Merlan, Anna (October 15, 2024). "Meet the Conspiracy-Peddling Gossip Blogger Who's Cast Herself as a Trump-RFK Player". Mother Jones. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
- ^ a b Darrach, December (December 22, 2021). "'I want to go to the Ghislaine Maxwell trial'". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Ritschel, Chelsea (June 24, 2022). "Instagram influencer claims Johnny Depp confided in her during Amber Heard trial". The Independent. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- ^ https://x.com/TalkTV/status/1770210416360145396
- ^ Parker, Ashley; Kornfield, Meryl (May 21, 2024). "'I ran into her yesterday': RFK's strange non-relationship with his VP pick". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 13, 2024.