Julia Varvaro is the latest ‘Sugar Daddy’ scandal in the US. There have been several such controversies recently. Let’s take a look at it.
Julia Varvaro, 29, has been placed on administrative leave. A senior Department of Homeland Security official served as deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed her departure on April 22, 2026, pending an internal investigation.
Julia Varvaro, 29, was involved in the ‘Sugar Daddy’ scandal(Instagram/hereswhykevin)
The complaint was filed by divorced sales manager Robert B. He claims he spent roughly $40,000 on Varvaro over three months.
This included first class trips to Aruba, Italy, Switzerland and San Diego. He also allegedly bought her a $3,500 Bottega handbag and Cartier jewelry.
Robert B, who appears to be much older than Julia, claims to have found Varvara’s profile on Seeking.com under the name “Alessia”. She also claims she used her DHS position to bypass security at Dulles Airport through a TSA screener.
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He told investigators that her financial behavior posed a national security risk. Varvaro denied all the allegations and called Robert B. a disgruntled ex-boyfriend.
Before Julia Varvara, others were involved in the ‘Sugar Daddy’ controversies.
Matt Gaetz
A report by the House Ethics Committee found substantial evidence of serious misconduct by former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. The 42-page report was released on December 23, 2024.
Matt Gaetz allegedly paid over $90,000 to 12 women over three years(Screengrab by X/@mattgaetz)
The committee found that Gaetz became intimate with a 17-year-old girl in July 2017. He allegedly paid her $400. This constitutes statutory rape under Florida law.
Between 2017 and 2020, Gaetz allegedly paid over $90,000 to 12 women. These payments were linked to sexual activity and drug use.
Read also | DHS counterterrorism official under investigation over ‘sugar daddy’ allegations.
The report also found evidence of cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana use between 2017 and 2019. Gaetz allegedly used his office in Congress to expedite a passport for a woman he was involved with.
The Ministry of Justice refused to file criminal charges. Gaetz resigned from Congress in November 2024 after his nomination for attorney general collapsed. His scandal was closely linked to Joel Greenberg, a convicted sex trafficker.
Anthony Weiner
Former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner was caught in a major sexting scandal in 2013. He ran a six-month digital affair using the fake name “Carlos Danger”.
The woman involved was Sydney Leathers, a then 23-year-old political activist from Indiana. The two exchanged explicit messages and spoke on the phone daily.
Weiner reportedly offered to help Leathers get an apartment in Chicago for private meetings. He also allegedly used his political connections to impress her and advance her career ambitions.
Anthony Weiner’s name has been implicated with political activist Sydney Leathers,(Screengrab by X/@repweiner)
Leathers said she never received money directly from Weiner. However, the relationship carried a clear power imbalance and transactional undertones.
The scandal broke when Leathers anonymously posted his explicit messages on the gossip site The Dirty. She said Weiner falsely claimed past misconduct when he ran for mayor of New York in 2013.
Anna Nicole Smith
In 1994, 26-year-old Anna Nicole Smith married 89-year-old oil billionaire J. Howard Marshall II. Their age difference of 63 years made it one of the most talked about relationships in America.
They first met in 1991 at a Houston strip club where Smith was performing. Marshall immediately gave her cash and promised financial support. Over the course of three years, he allegedly spent millions on jewelry, cars and luxury experiences. They were married in Houston on June 27, 1994.
Anna Nicole Smith married 89-year-old billionaire J. Howard Marshall II.(X/@MorbidKnowledge)
Marshall died just 14 months after the wedding. He left behind an estate worth $1.6 billion. Smith was completely excluded from his will. A long legal battle ensued, eventually reaching the US Supreme Court. In 2014, the courts ruled that Smith’s estate would receive nothing from Marshall’s fortune. Anna died in 2007; she was 39.
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The term ‘Sugar Daddy’ is used to describe a wealthy older person in a relationship with a younger person. For such women it is called ‘Sugar Mommy’. It is assumed that for a younger person such relationships are primarily used for financial gain.
