Emily Compagno’s husband: the full story from Peter Riley to Derek Hedt

by May 24, 2026
8 minutes read
Emily Compagno's husband: the full story from Peter Riley to Derek Hedt

If you’ve searched Emily Compagno’s husband recently, you’ve probably hit a wall of outdated articles and outright misinformation. Some say she’s still married to Peter Riley. Others throw around the name Jon Skoog. Neither is accurate in 2026. Here is the complete, honest story of Emily’s marriages, her quiet divorce, the widespread name mix-up, and who she actually married this year.

Quick facts about Emily Compagno

Detail Info
Full name Emily Rose Compagno
Date of birth November 9, 1979
Birthplace Oakland, California
Education BA, University of Washington; JD, University of San Francisco School of Law
Profession Fox News host, legal analyst, attorney
Shows Outnumbered, The FOX True Crime Podcast
First husband Peter Riley (married 2017, divorced late 2025)
Current husband Derek Hedt (married 2026)
Net worth (est.) $2 million to $4 million

Who is Peter Riley?

Peter Riley is a former data analyst and real estate broker from Portland, Oregon. He is best known publicly as Emily Compagno’s first husband, though he has never sought any kind of spotlight for himself.

His professional background is in technology and real estate. He held account management roles at companies including NVIDIA and Palo Alto Networks, focusing on cloud security solutions. He later shifted toward real estate, eventually working with Berkshire Hathaway NW Real Estate in Washington State.

  • Background: Pacific Northwest, born approximately 1979
  • Education: Studied at the University of Washington
  • Career: Tech sales, cloud security, real estate
  • Known for: Privacy, professional consistency, low public profile

What makes Peter stand out in the context of celebrity relationships is how little he ever tried to become a public figure. He let his professional work define him, not his wife’s television career.

How Emily and Peter Riley met

Their story did not start with a Hollywood setup. Emily and Peter first met as teenagers in the Pacific Northwest. They went their separate ways, and nearly two decades passed without contact.

Then, during their mid-30s, they ran into each other by chance on a street in Seattle. That chance encounter led to a rekindled connection, a relationship, and eventually a marriage. Friends who knew both of them described the compatibility as immediate and natural. Their shared Pacific Northwest roots, similar educational paths, and aligned values gave the relationship a solid foundation.

Read more: Misha Ezratti net worth in 2026: how Florida’s quiet real estate leader built a $500M fortune

The wedding at Villa Cimbrone

They married on September 13, 2017, at Villa Cimbrone in Ravello, Italy. The ceremony was small and deliberate. Fewer than 100 guests attended, mostly close family and friends. The choice of Villa Cimbrone, a historic estate above the Amalfi Coast with panoramic views of the Mediterranean, reflected both Emily’s Italian heritage and the couple’s preference for meaningful over showy.

The details that filtered out afterward painted a picture of genuine warmth:

  • Handwritten personal vows
  • Traditional Italian food and local wine
  • A garden ceremony with the sea in the background
  • No red-carpet photographers, no live social media coverage

Emily shared selective glimpses of the day on social media and moved on. That restraint has been a defining quality of how she handles every chapter of her personal life.

Financial trouble and strain in the marriage

The marriage eventually ran into real difficulties, and the documented problems were largely financial. Peter Riley reportedly faced a federal judgment of approximately $880,000 in unpaid taxes, linked to failed cryptocurrency investments and a collapsed space technology venture.

These were not vague rumors. Public records pointed to a substantial federal tax liability. The combination of failed investment bets and the accompanying public scrutiny put visible pressure on the couple’s private life.

Emily made no public comment on any of it. She never addressed the tax reports, never gave an interview about their relationship status, and never confirmed or denied speculation. That silence was consistent with her entire approach to personal matters throughout her career.

The divorce

The Fox News co-host kept both the engagement and wedding characteristically private. The same was true of the divorce.

What the public noticed was more indirect: Emily stopped wearing a wedding ring during on-air appearances, joint public sightings became nonexistent, and any reference to Peter in her public commentary essentially disappeared.

By late 2025, multiple credible sources confirmed that Emily Compagno and Peter Riley had divorced. The separation was handled entirely in private. There were no press conferences, no public statements, and no dramatic announcements.

No children from the marriage have been publicly confirmed.

The Jon Skoog mix-up, explained

Before going further, this needs to be addressed directly because it causes widespread confusion.

Dozens of websites and tabloid articles have named Jon Skoog as Emily’s husband or fiance. He is neither. Jon Skoog is married to Emily’s sister, Julietta Compagno. He is her brother-in-law. The misinformation spread fast and now appears across search results in ways that look credible at first glance.

Jon Skoog has no romantic connection to Emily whatsoever. Anyone writing that he is or was her husband is simply wrong.

Emily Compagno’s current husband: Derek Hedt

Emily Compagno's husband: the full story from Peter Riley to Derek Hedt
Emily Compagno’s husband: the full story from Peter Riley to Derek Hedt

On August 28, 2024, Emily Compagno confirmed her engagement during an appearance on Fox Business. She showed her engagement ring, described by jewelry experts as featuring a 1.5 to 2-carat round brilliant-cut diamond in a classic solitaire setting with a platinum band, but she did not name her fiance at the time.

She kept Derek’s identity out of the public conversation for months. That kind of intentional privacy is a pattern in how she shares personal news.

Emily Compagno married Derek Hedt in 2026, completing a quiet but significant personal transition in the years following her divorce from Peter Riley. Derek Hedt is a real estate broker professionally based in Vancouver, Washington, where he has built a successful career in residential property.

Emily Compagno shocked Outnumbered viewers by revealing intimate wedding details about her 2026 marriage to Derek Hedt. The Fox News co-host opened up on-air about her celebration with the businessman.

Derek, like Peter before him, has shown no interest in becoming a public-facing figure. He operates in real estate, keeps a professional focus, and lets Emily’s career be Emily’s career.

Emily Compagno’s career: context for her personal life

Understanding Emily’s relationships is easier when you understand how driven and private she has always been as a professional. She earned a law degree from the University of San Francisco, worked as a federal criminal defense attorney, and served as captain of the Oakland Raiders’ cheerleading squad at the same time. She was also selected as one of five NFL cheerleaders to serve as an NFL Ambassador, representing the league in China.

She joined Fox News as a contributor and eventually became a co-host of Outnumbered, one of the network’s flagship daytime shows. She also hosts The FOX True Crime Podcast. Her career has never slowed down regardless of what was happening in her personal life, which tells you something about her priorities and her discipline.

Her path in American media reflects a broader shift toward legal analysts taking central roles in cable news, where credibility and on-screen presence matter equally.

Final thoughts

Emily Compagno’s personal life story is one that the internet has consistently gotten wrong. The simple version, now accurate for 2026, is this: she married Peter Riley in 2017 in Italy, they built a life together, faced real financial difficulties, and eventually divorced quietly by late 2025. She got engaged to Derek Hedt in August 2024 and married him in 2026. Jon Skoog is her brother-in-law, not her husband or ex-husband.

What stands out about how Emily has handled every part of this is the consistency. She shares what she chooses to share, on her own schedule, without pressure from outside noise. That approach says more about who she is than any headline ever could.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Emily Compagno’s husband in 2026?

As of 2026, Emily Compagno’s husband is Derek Hedt, a real estate broker based in Vancouver, Washington. She married him in 2026 following her divorce from first husband Peter Riley, which was finalized by late 2025.

Who was Emily Compagno’s first husband?

Emily Compagno’s first husband was Peter Riley, a former data analyst and real estate professional from Portland, Oregon. They married on September 13, 2017, at Villa Cimbrone in Ravello, Italy, and divorced by late 2025.

Did Emily Compagno and Peter Riley have children?

No children from their marriage have been publicly confirmed. Both Emily and Peter have maintained privacy on personal matters throughout and after their relationship.

Why did Emily Compagno and Peter Riley divorce?

No official reason was ever publicly stated by either party. Financial difficulties on Peter Riley’s side, including a reported federal tax judgment of approximately $880,000 linked to failed cryptocurrency investments, are widely cited as a contributing factor, though neither Emily nor Peter confirmed a direct cause.

Who is Jon Skoog and why do people think he was Emily Compagno’s husband?

Jon Skoog is married to Emily’s sister, Julietta Compagno, making him Emily’s brother-in-law. A large number of websites incorrectly identified him as Emily’s husband, and the misinformation spread widely through search results. He has no romantic connection to Emily.

When did Emily Compagno get engaged to Derek Hedt?

Emily confirmed her engagement on August 28, 2024, during a Fox Business appearance. She showed her engagement ring but did not name her fiance publicly at the time. Their marriage took place in 2026.

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