Kyle Rittenhouse hospitalized after nasty venomous spider bite: 'I'll be damned if I let a brown recluse take me out'

By STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 22:49, 7 May 2026 | Updated: 22:58, 7 May 2026 Acquitted killer Kyle Rittenhouse shocked fans when he posted photos of him in a hospital after being bitten by a venomous spider.  The 23-year-old conservative influencer posted a photo of himself hooked up to machines and IVs puncturing his torso, while also showing visible red marks on his thigh.  'The communists couldn't take me out and I'll be damned if I let a brown recluse take me out,' Rittenhouse wrote on social media. A brown recluse spider is a rarely seen version of the creature, whose complex venom causes injury and death, according to the National Capital Poison Center.   He also posted a photo of himself preparing to shoot a rifle, suggesting he'd gotten his revenge. 'The spider, like the commies, also thought it was a good idea to come after me while I was armed. He did not survive,' he said. Rittenhouse admitted, however, that he did 'wish I was Spider-man now' after the bite.  Now a popular content creator and right-wing influencer, Rittenhouse initially became infamous for killing two men and injuring a third during the 2020 Kenosha riots following the death of George Floyd.  Kyle Rittenhouse shocked fans when he posted photos of him in a hospital after being bitten by a venomous spider The 23-year-old conservative influencer was in good spirits despite being hooked up to machines and IVs puncturing his torso, while also having visible red marks on his thigh Rittenhouse was charged with homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangering for killing Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum and wounding a third person with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle in the summer of 2020. It came during a tumultuous night of post-Floyd protests over the shooting of a black man, Jacob Blake, by a white Kenosha police officer. A jury found Rittenhouse not guilty of five felony charges including a murder charge. Since then, victims and their families have brought forward separate lawsuits against Rittenhouse. Rittenhouse has divided opinion since the verdict in 2021. President Biden came out after the decision and said he was 'angry and concerned', but said he stood with the jury's decision. 'I stand with the jury as the jury system has concluded. The jury system works and you have to abide by it,' he told reporters at the time. Some outraged celebrities went online to complain about the decision, with performer Bette Midler saying it was a 'tragic, tragic day'. Rittenhouse has divided opinion since the verdict in 2021 ‘#kylerittenhouse found not guilty tho we SAW HIM kill two,' she shared with her followers on Twitter that November.  ‘Fundamentally stupid, I predict he will go on to a big career on #Fox and in #RadicalRightWing circles, which counts as a plus with them. A tragic, tragic day for decent, THINKING, feeling, ethical people everywhere.’  Donald Trump congratulated Rittenhouse, a supporter of the former president, on the verdict. 'Congratulations to Kyle Rittenhouse for being found INNOCENT of all charges,' said Trump in an emailed statement.  The 20-year old has looked to reinvent himself as a content creator, right wing influencer and student since the verdict. Rittenhouse, who raised more than a million dollars in crowdfunded donations for his Kenosha legal defense, has attracted a large following to his YouTube channel dedicated to his interest in guns. He has also organized a number of speaking events, talking on the Kenosha unrest and Second Amendment rights.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.