Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie thought he was sharing joyful news with the world.
Instead, he walked into a buzz saw of criticism.
And Thomas Massie got blindsided by one nasty attack after announcing his new marriage.
X critics went after Massie for remarrying too soon
Thomas Massie announced his marriage to Carolyn Grace Moffa on X, sharing photos from their Christian wedding ceremony in Pennsylvania. The Republican Congressman married Moffa on October 19 in Kentucky, then celebrated with family and friends this past weekend.¹
The couple's connection goes back more than a decade when Moffa worked as an agriculture policy staffer for Senator Rand Paul. She visited Massie and his late wife Rhonda on their grass-fed cattle farm years ago.²
"Carolyn and I would like to announce our recent marriage!" Massie wrote. "We were legally married in Kentucky on October 19th by the pastor of the church we have been attending for several months."³
The backlash hit fast. Radio host Amiri King torched Massie for remarrying just 16 months after his wife's death. "Zero loyalty. No allegiance. Devotion, none," King posted, questioning how anyone could remarry so quickly after losing a spouse of 27 years.⁴
Podcast host Lil' Mandee piled on with her own attack. "Thomas Massie's wife died June 2024. They were married for 27 years and she died suddenly," she wrote. "Then he completely changed his appearance and his policy stances. And he's already remarried to a woman who is nearly the age of the length of his marriage."⁵
The criticism ignored what Massie's four adult children thought about their father's decision. They're all married with families of their own and supported his choice to move forward.
Critics also overlooked that Massie still deeply misses Rhonda. "I have four adult children, who are all married to wonderful people, and three grandchildren from my blessed 31 year marriage to Rhonda who I still miss every day," he wrote in his announcement.⁶
Research backs widowers who remarry quickly after happy marriages
The attacks on Massie ignored decades of research on widowhood and remarriage. People from the happiest marriages often remarry sooner, not because they loved their spouse less, but because they loved marriage and partnership.
A major study tracked 350 widows and widowers for 25 months after losing their spouse. The results showed 61% of men and 19% of women were either remarried or in new romances within just over two years.⁷
The same research found greater psychological wellbeing among those who remarried or started dating compared to those who stayed single. These weren't people trying to escape grief – they were adapting to loss by seeking companionship again.⁸
"For men whose marriage ends only because of death there is often a desire to repeat the happiness they knew," gender studies professor Susan Shapiro Barash explained. "These men love being married, and they are good husband material."⁹
Research consistently shows men remarry faster than women after losing a spouse. The median time for men is just 1.7 years compared to 3.5 years for women. Massie's timeline at 16 months falls well within normal patterns.¹⁰
Widowers who were in happy marriages face unique challenges. They experience the loss "as one of dismemberment, as if they had lost something that kept them organized and whole," according to University of Utah researcher Michael Caserta.¹¹
Studies found widowers have higher rates of mental and physical illness, disabilities, and even suicide compared to widows. Men typically have fewer therapeutic resources and less emotional support to weather the loss alone.¹²
The timing critics attacked Massie for actually aligns with standard social acceptance. Research shows a large spike in remarriages at the 13-month mark after a spouse dies, suggesting many consider one year the minimum appropriate waiting period.¹³
Massie honored his late wife while building a new future
Rhonda Massie died suddenly on June 27, 2024, at age 51 from respiratory complications of chronic autoimmune myopathy. She and Thomas had been high school sweethearts who went to prom together before both attending MIT, where she earned her mechanical engineering degree.¹⁴
The couple built an off-grid home powered by solar and geothermal energy on their Kentucky farm. They raised four children together over 31 years of marriage.
Thomas addressed conspiracy theories about Rhonda's death two weeks after she passed. "I am still devastated, but the four wonderful children she brought into this world and nurtured so perfectly have surrounded me with love and comfort," he wrote.¹⁵
He made clear the family was together when Rhonda died, their home was secure, and an autopsy had been conducted. Massie also joked that the "only credible conspiracy" was how "a gorgeous girl who was a literal genius conspired to make a congressman" out of him.¹⁶
His new wife Carolyn has never been married before and shares his passion for health and agriculture. She was an early advocate for the Make America Healthy Again movement during her time working for Rand Paul.
The couple plans to live on Massie's Kentucky farm where Carolyn recently helped re-establish ducks and chickens alongside the beef cattle. Fun fact – they served raw milk with their wedding cake and margaritas made from frozen peaches from the farm.¹⁷
Several Republican colleagues attended the Pennsylvania ceremony, including Representatives Jim Jordan, Warren Davidson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Victoria Spartz. Rand Paul was also there.¹⁸
Massie's oldest grandson served as ring bearer. The Congressman proposed to Carolyn on the steps of the Library of Congress – the location of their first date.¹⁹
Critics attacking a widower for finding love again revealed more about their own Victorian sensibilities than Massie's choices. Research proves there's no single correct timeline for grief and that remarriage after a happy marriage is both common and healthy.
Massie honored his late wife's memory while building a new future. That takes courage, not betrayal.
¹ Thomas Massie, X post, November 3, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Amiri King, X post, November 3, 2025.
⁵ Lil' Mandee, X post, November 3, 2025.
⁶ Thomas Massie, X post, November 3, 2025.
⁷ "Dating and remarriage over the first two years of widowhood," PubMed, 1996.
⁸ Ibid.
⁹ "Why Men Remarry Faster Than Women After the Death of a Spouse," MEL Magazine, January 28, 2019.
¹⁰ "Remarriage probability after widowhood: a retrospective method," PubMed, 1978.
¹¹ "Why Men Remarry Faster Than Women After the Death of a Spouse," MEL Magazine, January 28, 2019.
¹² Ibid.
¹³ "Remarriage After Bereavement," Therapevo Counseling, March 25, 2025.
¹⁴ Julie Dolan, X post, October 2024; "Rep. Thomas Massie marries ex-Rand Paul staffer," AOL, November 3, 2025.
¹⁵ "Rep. Thomas Massie responds to 'internet conspiracy theories,'" WLWT, July 11, 2024.
¹⁶ Ibid.
¹⁷ Thomas Massie, X post, November 3, 2025.
¹⁸ Ibid.
¹⁹ Ibid.
