Jessica Reed Kraus is an American writer, Instagram influencer, and former mommyblogger who writes the newsletter House Inhabit. The newsletter covers celebrity gossip, conspiracy theories, and American politics.[1][2] Kraus describes her writing as an "alternative approach to reporting" which with "the basic quest for truth, paired with a flexible narrative, I think speaks to people in a real way."[3]
Kraus grew up in Corona, California, as the third of four children. Her father had died by suicide when she was six, after he struggled with a drug addiction. As a teenager, Kraus aspired to be a gossip columnist, but then later wanted to become an English teacher. The plans to go to teaching college were derailed when she became pregnant with her then-boyfriend Mike, who was a touring musician.[4]
Career
Kraus grew her Instagram account as a home improvement and lifestyle influencer, using the username @houseinhabit.[5] Her husband Mike got a construction job, and began remodeling their home in San Clemente, California, which she would write about.[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.[6]
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.[5][7] 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 in her newsletter.[5] After an expensive week of being at the Maxwell trial, she flew back home to California, where she says an owl's appearance convinced her to return, funded by audience donations.[4] When Catherine, Princess of Wales, was not seen in public for an extended period of time, she published in her newsletter various conspiracies about the Princess.[4]
When actor Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for defamation, Kraus said that Depp was unfairly presumed to have abused Heard.[4] Kraus says that, before the trial began, Depp's lawyer called her and had Depp speak to her[4] for an hour and a half at the beginning of the trial after being connected to him through an "old friend of Johnny's" Kraus met on Instagram.[8] During the Depp v. Heard defamation trial, Kraus posted daily updates on Instagram, often siding with Depp and criticizing Heard.[3][8] Posting about the trial netted Kraus hundreds of thousands of followers.[3][5] During the trial, Kraus called Heard a liar, accusing her of "making a mockery of the #MeToo movement",[3] and posted stories about Heard's personal life.[2] After the trial ended, Kraus wrote that she met Depp in person at a cocktail party, who thanked her for her writing.[3]
The House Inhabit newsletter has 452,000 total subscribers, with The Times estimating it generates $1–2 million in annual revenue. Mike quit his job to look after their children.[4]
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.[6] She was initially not interested in Kennedy, but grew to like him.[4] Eventually, she regularly posted in support of him on her Instagram account and encouraged people to attend his campaign events.[5] She praised the MAGA movement for being "always a good time" saying, "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."[5] She views Trump as a father figure, and thinks he's "brilliant".[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.[5] She is a regular at the Trump resort.[4]
Personal life
Kraus is not religious. She has four children.[5][2] She is based in San Clemente, California and is married to a man named Mike.[2]
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