GOP Rep-elect George Santos reportedly divorced a woman 2 weeks before running for office in 2019 despite suggesting he's been 'openly gay' for a decade

• GOP Rep-elect George Santos may have lied about numerous aspects of his background.
• He reportedly divorced a woman, Uadla Santos, in 2019 less than 2 weeks before launching his first campaign.
• But he's said that he's "openly gay" and has "never had an issue with my sexual identity in the past decade."

Incoming Republican congressman George Santos of New York was already facing a litany of questions about his background, including his employment history, his education, his residence, and his religious background.

Now, another key aspect of his biography — Santos is the first non-incumbent out gay Republican ever elected to Congress — has also been complicated.

The Daily Beast reported on Thursday that Santos divorced a woman named Uadla Santos in 2019, just two weeks before launching his ill-fated 2020 congressional campaign against Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi. The outlet was also unable to obtain records of his marriage to his husband.

While it's possible that Santos is, in fact, gay, the marriage complicates public statements that Santos has made about his own sexuality.

"I'm a gay married man," Santos told USA Today in October of this year. "I am openly gay, have never had an issue with my sexual identity in the past decade, and I can tell you and assure you, I will always be an advocate for LGBTQ folks."

Santos never publicly disclosed his marriage to the woman.

The embattled congressman-elect has not yet addressed or refuted any of the facts that have been reported about him this week, simply saying in a statement on Monday that questions raised by the New York Times were "defamatory allegations."

—George Santos (@Santos4Congress) December 19, 2022