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Did Rhonda Massie's death spark conspiracy theories? All about Thomas Massie's late wife as Republican congressman slams his own party

Thomas Massie is ready to stand against his own Republican Party to stand by principles. Here's a look into his personal life and late wife, Rhonda Massie.
posted by Akanksha Mishra
Thursday 10/30/2025 at 8:16AM EDT
  • WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 25: U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) speaks to reporters as she arrives for a House Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on February 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. The House is working to pass its budget bill this week which includes up to $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, an increase in the debt limit and cuts Medicaid and other social programs. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
    WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 25: U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) speaks to reporters as she arrives for a House Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on February 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. The House is working to pass its budget bill this week which includes up to $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, an increase in the debt limit and cuts Medicaid and other social programs. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

    On Thursday, October 30, Congressman Thomas Massie slammed the very party he represents, calling its leaders out in a tweet. 

    Accusing politicians from the Republican party of protecting s*x traffickers, funding wars, locking down citizens, bailing out corporations, and hurting small farmers, Massie added that he won't be their "yes man" even after knowing about it all.

    The tweet comes more than a year after Massie's wife, Rhonda Massie, whose maiden name is Rhonda Howard, passed away. 
    The Congressman announced his wife's death in a statement issued on social media on June 27, 2024, by honoring her as "my high school sweetheart, the love of my life for over 35 years, the loving mother of our 4 children, the smartest, kindest woman I ever knew, my beautiful and wise queen forever". 

    Soon after Rhonda's passing, many conspiracy theories about the reason behind it started circulating on social media, with some suggesting that perhaps it was COVID or its vaccination that had killed her. It wasn't long before Thomas Massie addressed those theories on X, writing:

    "Although I first reacted with indignation to internet conspiracy theories about her death, I've since been amused because I know Rhonda would have laughed, and if I were on the outside I might have similar concerns."

    Massie then dismissed some of the conspiracy theories, adding:

    "Without violating her privacy, I can dismiss some of those theories by disclosing: she did not take the COVID shots (we were both seropositive by the time they became available), our house is very secure, family was in the house the night she passed, and an autopsy has been conducted (we do not yet have results)."

    Then, joking about the only credible conspiracy theory that he could think of, Thomas Massie wrote that Rhonda "conspired to make a congressman, who would be steerable by no one but her, out of an awkward nerd by taking him as her boyfriend at age 16 and committing to decades of continuously molding him into something better". 

    Rhonda and Thomas Massie were high school sweethearts

    The love story of Rhonda Howard and Thomas Massie dates back to their teen years. The couple first met in high school, where Rhonda was a sophomore and Thomas, a senior. They started dating in school and went to the prom together in 1989. 

    After graduating from high school, Thomas went to MIT to study electrical engineering, where Rhonda followed two years later as a student of mechanical engineering. 

    In 1993, after Massie graduated, the couple got married in a Methodist Church in Vanceburg. As a married couple, Rhonda and Thomas built a unique, off-the-grid home for themselves in Garrison, which was fully powered by solar, geothermal, propane and wood. 

    They went on to four children - Justin, Mason, Sarah, and Eliza and even raised a cattle farm on their property. They were married for 35 years before Rhonda passed away. 

    TOPICS: Thomas Massie, Rhonda Massie


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