FBI Director Kash Patel and country singer Alexis Wilkins announce engagement
Version 2: The Associated Press, including a Spanish-language version, and The New York Times have now covered the engagement, with no new facts about the announcement itself.
In short
FBI Director Kash Patel, 46, and country singer Alexis Wilkins, 27, announced their engagement on Sunday in social media posts. Wilkins posted a black-and-white photo showing her ring with the caption “Went and got the law involved,” and Patel shared the post. The couple have been together since early 2023, before Patel took over the FBI in 2025, and his government travel and her defamation litigation have drawn scrutiny during his tenure.
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FBI Director Kash Patel, 46, and country singer Alexis Wilkins, 27, announced their engagement on Sunday in social media posts the two shared. Wilkins posted a black-and-white photograph of the couple with her engagement ring visible, writing “Went and got the law involved” with heart and diamond ring emojis and tagging Patel, according to The Hill. Patel later shared the post using the same emojis, the New York Post and Newsweek reported. ABC News said the announcement was made on Sunday evening. All the documents base their accounts on the couple's own posts; Newsweek said it reached out to the FBI for comment outside regular business hours and did not report a response. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
The two met in 2022 and began dating in early 2023, before Patel took charge of the FBI in 2025, when Wilkins attended his swearing-in, according to ABC News and Newsweek. The New York Post said they met at a friend's event in Nashville; Newsweek said the 2022 meeting was at an event connected to country singer John Rich. Wilkins has said publicly that she was drawn to Patel's honesty, describing his character and values as standing out from the moment they met, the New York Post and Newsweek reported. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Wilkins is a country singer and conservative commentator. The New York Post reported she released an EP, “Grit,” in 2023, has hosted a Rumble show and has served as a board member of the National Rifle Association. ABC News said she released her debut album in 2023 and writes on her website that she “honors country tradition while adding relevance and current commentary.” ABC News also reported that she performed the national anthem at a pro wrestling event in State College, Pennsylvania, and at President Donald Trump's Great American State Fair on the National Mall as part of America 250. [ 1 , 5 ]
Patel's travel has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who have questioned his use of government aircraft on trips with no known or apparent law enforcement purpose, including trips involving Wilkins. The New York Post reported that Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee criticised his private jet use after reports he used a jet to visit his girlfriend and attend sporting events. Patel has said he is legally restricted from flying commercial and that the couple pays for personal travel, as other members of the Cabinet and agency heads do. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
Wilkins is also involved in defamation litigation. The New York Post reported she filed a $5 million defamation lawsuit against Kyle Seraphin, a former FBI agent turned podcaster. The Hill reported that in May she filed a lawsuit alleging MS NOW reporters Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian defamed her in a December report claiming Patel directed a security detail to escort one of her friends home after a night of drinking; she sought more than $75,000 in damages. Attorneys for Versant, the outlet's parent company, filed a motion last month to move the case to federal court in Washington, D.C., arguing she had failed to make her case, according to The Hill. The documents do not say how either case is proceeding. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The engagement renews attention on a relationship that has been closely followed during Patel's time as FBI director, a period in which Democratic lawmakers have criticised his use of government aircraft for private travel. Wilkins' profile in country music and conservative media, and her pending defamation litigation, keep the couple in public view. The documents give no indication of any effect on Patel's work at the bureau.
Key facts
- FBI Director Kash Patel, 46, and country singer Alexis Wilkins, 27, announced their engagement on Sunday in posts on X. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Wilkins posted a black-and-white photo showing her engagement ring with the caption “Went and got the law involved”; Patel shared the post with heart and diamond ring emojis. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The couple began dating in early 2023, and Wilkins attended Patel's swearing-in after he became FBI director in 2025. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Wilkins is a country singer and conservative commentator who released music in 2023, has hosted a Rumble show and has served on the board of the National Rifle Association. [ 1 , 5 ]
- Democratic lawmakers have criticised Patel's use of government aircraft for private travel, including trips involving Wilkins; Patel has said he is legally restricted from flying commercial and that the couple pays for personal travel. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
- Wilkins is involved in defamation litigation, including a lawsuit against podcaster Kyle Seraphin and a suit against two MS NOW reporters. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Kash Patel and Alexis Wilkins announced their engagement on Sunday in a social media post. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Wilkins, 27, posted a photo showing her engagement ring with the caption “Went and got the law involved,” and Patel, 46, shared the post. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The couple began dating in early 2023. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Patel became FBI director in 2025. [ 2 , 5 ]
- Democratic lawmakers have criticised Patel's use of government aircraft for private travel, including trips involving Wilkins. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- Where the couple met. The New York Post says they met at a friend's event in Nashville in 2022, while Newsweek says the 2022 meeting was at an event connected to country singer John Rich; the documents do not reconcile the two accounts.
- Whether Wilkins' 2023 release was an EP or a debut album. The New York Post calls “Grit” an EP released in 2023, while ABC News refers to a debut album released in 2023.
- The status of Wilkins' defamation litigation. The New York Post describes a $5 million suit against podcaster Kyle Seraphin, while The Hill describes a separate suit against MS NOW reporters seeking more than $75,000; the documents do not say how either case is proceeding, and The Hill's account of a court ruling is cut off.
- Whether the FBI responded to requests for comment. Newsweek said it reached out to the FBI for comment outside regular business hours and did not report a response; no other document mentions an FBI comment.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The New York Post publishes its report on the engagement announcement. [ 1 ]
- Newsweek reports the engagement and says it contacted the FBI for comment. [ 2 ]
- The Hill reports the engagement and details litigation involving Wilkins. [ 3 ]
- The Associated Press publishes its English-language report on the engagement ring photo. [ 4 ]
- ABC News reports the couple announced the engagement in a post on X on Sunday evening. [ 5 ]
- The Associated Press publishes a Spanish-language version of its report. [ 6 ]
- The New York Times reports the engagement, saying it was announced on social media over the weekend. [ 7 ]