Who is Robert O'Neill's wife? Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden celebrates 5th wedding anniversary after being charged with assault
FRISCO, TEXAS: Robert O'Neill, the Navy SEAL who previously stirred controversy for claiming to be the killer of Osama Bin Laden, is married to Jessica Halpin.
The couple, who got married in 2017, recently celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary on Saturday, August 26, 2023, where O’Neill shared a slew of images from their wedding and honeymoon on Instagram and a congratulatory message to Jessica for “putting up with” him.
On Wednesday, August 23, 2023, O’Neill was detained in Frisco, Texas, as per the Daily Mail.
Why was Robert O’Neill arrested?
Robert O’Neill was arrested on Wednesday in Frisco, Texas. As per The Dallas Morning News, he faced two misdemeanor charges of assault and public intoxication.
He was booked into a jail in Collin County and later released on a bond of $3500. It is unclear whether O’Neill had an attorney.
As per the news outlet, Frisco police said O’Neill was booked with a Class A misdemeanor charge of assault causing bodily injury and a Class C misdemeanor charge of public intoxication. However, jail records only list the assault charge.
The Tennessee resident, who has now become a podcaster, author, and speaker on military issues, was in Frisco on Tuesday to record a podcast at a cigar lounge.
He is also the writer of his memoir titled 'The Operator'.
View this post on Instagram
When did Robert O’Neill get married?
The Navy veteran and his wife Jessica Halpin got married in Cape Cod in August 2017. The couple went on their honeymoon in Bora Bora.
Sharing a carousel of images, O’Neill wrote on his Instagram, “Happy Anniversary @jessicalynneoneill Thank you for putting up with me! I love you.”
View this post on Instagram
In 2017, after their marriage, Jessica told the Daily Mail that they met during a conference in April 2015 when the company Jessica worked for invited O’Neill for a session of public speaking.
Jessica said, “I wanted to hire Frank Abagnale, the guy who inspired the Leonardo DiCaprio movie, Catch Me If You Can.”
She continued, “I went to tell my boss that I had found the perfect speaker but I was told we were hiring Rob O'Neill. I had to ask who he was.”
However, Providence had other plans. Jessica’s superiors did not want to hire O’Neill.
View this post on Instagram
The veteran added, “Jessica's boss didn't want to hire a con-man for a leadership seminar, so I lucked out. She really didn't care for me, I wasn't the first choice.”
O'Neill and Jessica’s marriage in 2017 took place in a heavily guarded environment and was attended by Kid Rock. O’Neill said, “Kid Rock is a good friend and we were really happy he was able to share the day with us.”
Despite being a celebrated war hero, O’Neill was not perfect on his wedding day as he had a hilarious coup that day.
In the Daily Mail interview, he shared, “I realized that I had forgotten the rings on the way to the church. I called my friend, Shorty, who is a real problem solver, but he had no idea where they were. He managed to track them down and came racing to the church.”
View this post on Instagram
Robert O’Neill’s history with law enforcement
In 2014, O’Neill first claimed that it was his shots that killed the Al-Qaeda leader in 2011’s Operation Neptune Spear. The US Government neither confirmed nor declined the claim.
In 2016, he was charged with DUI in Montana. However, the prosecutors later dropped the charges as drugs were prescribed to him because of a medical condition stipulated by his military service, reports The Dallas Morning News.
In 2020, at the peak of the Covid pandemic, he was banned by Delta Airlines for flouting protocols and removing his face mask.