Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman recently opened up about how he “wasn’t functional” after his November Senate election, as his wife Gisele embarked on a lengthy media tour and even became a volunteer firefighter.
Fetterman opened up about his struggles with depression in an interview published Wednesday by People Magazine. “I literally stopped eating and drinking and I wasn’t functional,” Fetterman said about his depression following his November victory against Republican opponent Mehmet Oz. Fetterman struggled with words in an October 2022 debate with Oz, who made Fetterman’s health a focal point of his campaign. (RELATED: ‘I Stopped Leaving My Bed’: Sen. John Fetterman Opens Up About Depression)
John Fetterman tells People Magazine that after he won his election, he rarely left his bed, stopped eating and drinking, and that going to his swearing in felt like a chore pic.twitter.com/l4ATQGMGRK
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) April 19, 2023
Fetterman said his condition got to the point where he was missing doses of his heart medication, People Magazine reported. He suffered a stroke in May 2022 and took a months-long hiatus from campaigning to recover from it.
Fetterman’s depression, however, did not prevent his wife Gisele from conducting numerous high-profile interviews in the months after his election. She was interviewed by the New Republic, Today.com, the Washington Blade and other outlets as her husband battled depression behind the scenes.
Gisele Fetterman’s interviews often touched on her family life, her husband’s stroke, his political rise, and her path from being an undocumented Brazilian immigrant to prominent political wife. She drew headlines for declaring “the right-wing hates women” to the New Republic in response to criticism about her outsized role on the campaign trail. (RELATED: Media Fawns Over Gisele Fetterman As Concerns Over Her Husband’s Health Persist)
She also had time to become a volunteer firefighter with Rivers Edge 113 in Braddock, Pennsylvania, where Fetterman was Mayor from 2006 – 2019. “Say hello to Rivers Edge 113 newest member,” Gisele tweeted Dec. 14. She said she had “lots of work ahead” but was “excited and ready to learn.” In March, Gisele was spotted fighting a fire in east Pittsburgh as a member of Rivers Edge 113.
Say hello to Rivers Edge 113 newest member 🫡❤️🚒 (still lots of work ahead but excited and ready to learn) pic.twitter.com/JEM7kVJtju
— Gisele Barreto Fetterman (@giselefetterman) December 14, 2022
John Fetterman was hospitalized for depression in February and took a two-month absence from his duties. Gisele reportedly visited Fetterman at least once a week throughout his time in the hospital and went to Canada with their children for a late February vacation, according to the New York Times.
Fetterman returned to the Capitol on Monday and continued to struggle with his words at a Tuesday hearing. He told the Philadelphia Enquirer Wednesday he is “absolutely” ready to serve the entirety of his six-year term.