Kriti Mehrotra
With most things being a game of power for FBI agent turned Soviet and Russian Intelligence Services spy Robert Philip Hanssen, he was apparently loyal to no one but himself in life. This much has actually even been evidenced in CBS’ ‘FBI True – Hunting Graysuit: America’s Deadly Traitor,’ which delves deep into all aspects of who he was as well as his espionage. Yet for now, if you simply wish to learn more about those to have arguably been affected most by his dirty decisions — his family; wife and six children — we’ve got the key details for you.
Who Are Robert Hanssen’s Wife and Kids?
It was back around the mid-1960s when Robert came across Bernadette “Bonnie” Wauck for the first time while attending Northwestern University, only for them to soon fall head over heels. They thus happily tied the knot in 1968, following which he converted from Lutheranism to Catholicism, welcomed a few kids into their lives, and eventually started his career in the FBI (1976). These kids are Sue, Greg, Jane, John, Lisa, and Mark, all of whom attended an all-boys preparatory or an all-girls Roman Catholic school while growing up in Vienna, Virginia.
The truth is neighbors, friends, and family only ever described the Hanssens as a tight-knit group that attended Mass every single week while also being quite active in their Opus Dei institution. Though little did they know the patriarch was betraying his country by serving as a double agent as his loving wife and young kids unwittingly led a comfortable life in their suburban household. We specify “unwittingly” because Bonnie reportedly had no idea her beau was selling national secrets to the KGB for millions, especially since most of this money never even made it home.
According to reports, after Robert was identified as a double agent, arrested, and convicted, his wife of over three decades years was asked to take a polygraph during a Justice Department review. The reason: it was hard to believe she didn’t know or even suspect he was a spy, but this test proved she wasn’t deceptive in any way, shape, or form — she honestly had no idea of his extreme espionage. That’s because even when she had once discovered he was having unauthorized dealings in the 1980s, she didn’t know the severe extent of it owing to his manipulative lies.
In her polygraph, Bonnie said, “[Robert] told me he was just tricking the R ussians and feeding them false information. He never said he was spying. I told him I thought it was insane.” Then, in an attempt to save him from prison, when he told her he’d received around $30,000 from the Soviets for his work and had already spent much of it, she demanded he repay the entire sum. The family subsequently moved close to bankruptcy before coming back up again as he made several small payments to a charity over several years to maintain his ruse, and that was that.
Bonnie did repeatedly question her husband to ensure he was staying on the right path as this time passed, to which he always asserted yes prior to acting hurt about her lack of trust. “I never knew about anything else after that first time,” she stated, meaning she had no clue that Robert had then gone on to feed the Russians so much information his actions were ultimately deemed “possibly the worst intelligence disaster in U.S. history.” Yet personally, the worst part for her is the fact he used to secretly let a friend watch them engage in the bedroom from outside their window or a hidden camera.
Where Are Robert Hanssen’s Wife and Kids Now?
As per reports, following investigations plus court proceedings, Bonnie as well as the six children were allowed to return to their suburban Vienna, Virginia, home they once shared with Robert. This was actually specified under his plea bargain for 14 counts of espionage and one of conspiracy to commit espionage, which even allowed her to receive roughly 55% of his total pension. It’s thus imperative to note she maintained her marriage to him right until his demise in June 2023, all the while refusing to ever speak about his sexual betrayal even when giving interviews concerning his other activities.
Coming to Bonnie’s current standing, from what we can tell, to support the family’s lifestyle in Vienna, she taught theology at Oakcrest School for Girls right until it was time for her to retire in 2020. It hence appears as if she continues to be based in this Fairfax County town even today, where she’s surrounded by loved ones who make her feel normal in every sense of the term. “I have very supportive friends, who have been tremendous,” she once candidly said. “Most of the people who think ill of me don’t know me.” As for her six kids with Robert, we unfortunately don’t know much about them because they prefer to remain well away from the limelight in the hopes of an ordinary, uninfluenced life, especially since most of them now have families of their own.
Read More: Bonnie Woodward’s Murder: Where Are Heather Woodward and Roger Carroll Now?
