What To Know About Matt Gaetz's Relationship With His Adopted Son Nestor

While Matt Gaetz might be unrecognizable after rumored plastic surgery, his story has stayed the same. He's a career politician who has represented Florida's 1st Congressional District since 2017. After the Florida native's far-right beliefs, various legal issues, and unwavering support of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump propelled him into the national spotlight, he seemingly did what he could to keep his family out of the public eye. That all changed in June 2020 when Gaetz introduced his adopted son, Nestor Galbán, to the world with a selfie. "For all those wondering, this is my son Nestor," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "We share no blood but he is my life. He came from Cuba (legally, of course) six years ago and lives with me in Florida."

This post went up shortly after Gaetz faced off with Rep. Cedric Richmond during a hearing about police violence against Black Americans. After Richmond, who is Black, noted that the white representatives in the room could not understand how important it was to vote on the police reform bill presented, Gaetz challenged his statement and suggested anyone in the room could have non-white children. The two went back and forth until the hearing's chairman ended the exchange.

In a separate tweet, Gaetz referenced his contentious interaction with Richmond. "As you can imagine, I was triggered when (to make an absurd debate point) a fellow congressman diminished the contributions of Republicans because we don't raise non-white kids," he said. 

As Matt Gaetz told People in June 2020, Nestor Galbán relocated to the United States when he was 12 years old after his mom died of breast cancer. Gaetz supported him as he eased into this new life, which including learning English and adjusting to school in a different country. Gaetz went on to state that he was dating Galbán's sister when Galbán joined his family; Gaetz is no longer romantically involved with Galbán's sister. The politician never formally adopted Galbán, who was 19 years old at the time of the People interview. As Gaetz told the outlet, "Our relationship as a family is defined by our love for each other, not by any paperwork."

On a June 2020 episode of "Firebrand with Matt Gaetz," Gaetz opened up again about his love for his adopted son. "I sort of feel like a single step-parent at times," he said. That same week, Gaetz and Galbán also appeared on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" together. When asked about Gaetz's aforementioned debate, Galbán suggested Cedric Richmond's comments were "unfair." Needless to say, they seem to be in one another's corner. 

In the aforementioned People interview, Galbán reflected on his familial bond with Gaetz. "He's always been a role model in my life," Galbán said. Galbán has mostly kept a low profile since then, but in 2021, Gaetz did tell Fox News personality and Donald Trump pal Sean Hannity that his adopted son went on spring break despite the ongoing pandemic.