Back in 2022, on the first day of Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against Amber Heard, Jessica Reed Kraus was watching her son play soccer when she received a phone call from an unknown number. Lately, she’d been posting about the case on her House Inhabit Substack, commenting on Heard’s testimony with a heavy dose of skepticism. Kraus had gained influence online in the early 2010s as a liberal-leaning “mommy blogger,” but became disillusioned with the left during the pandemic—and a bit bored with writing about motherhood. She’d pivoted to covering celebrity trials from a “just asking questions” perspective.
Kraus must have liked the questions Kraus was asking publicly about his ex-wife’s credibility, because it was his voice on the line when she answered. This conversation, and a dramatic recounting of it on her newsletter, effectively launched Kraus into a new stratosphere of celebrity gossip writers. It also helped her carve out a niche on Substack, a subscription-based platform where independent writers, journalists, and content creators can say whatever they want, often unencumbered by editors or fact-checkers.
Kraus covered the rest of the defamation trial from a solidly pro-Depp perspective, not because he called her, she insists, but because she’d made up her mind after poring through legal documents and opening up her DMs to invite anecdotes and opinions about Heard. As anti-Heard content raged through social media that year, her own clout began to skyrocket.
The Kraus I meet two years later in Manhattan has strayed even further from the liberal-leaning "mommy blogger" she once was. Now, she earns seven figures as the top culture writer on Substack, boasting nearly 400,000 subscribers and covering the 2024 election from an independent perspective. Kraus openly admires and supports figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., JD Vance, and former President Donald Trump, often sharing intimate moments with them on social media.
Mainstream journalists would certainly take issue with Kraus calling herself a journalist, especially as she regularly pits herself against them and spreads conspiracy theories. Kraus is a subject of fascination in the media, both loathed and admired for her controversial views.
Despite the controversy, Kraus has found success on Substack, where she has found a loyal following of right-leaning women and anti-vaxxers. Substack's platform rewards personality-driven media figures like Kraus, allowing her to earn money independently through subscriptions and donations.
Kraus's rise as an influential writer has been met with both admiration and concern. She has become a primary source of election news for many busy moms, despite her lack of fact-checking or prior journalism training. Kraus sees herself as someone who breaks down barriers and encourages discussion and debate.
