Duwaji’s social media likes spark backlash

Zohran Mamdani defended his wife, artist Rama Duwaji, after questions surfaced about her social-media activity following the Oct. 7 attacks, arguing that she should not be treated as a public figure despite recent media attention surrounding her.

The 34-year-old democratic socialist was approached during an unrelated public event and asked about Instagram posts that Duwaji had reportedly liked in the hours after the Hamas attack on Israel. According to Jewish Insider, the posts included graphic imagery from the assault and commentary criticizing Israel.

Mamdani declined to address his wife’s actions directly, emphasizing that he alone holds public office and is accountable for his views.

“I was elected to represent all 8.5 million people in the city,” he said. “Because of that role, it’s my responsibility to answer questions about my thoughts, my politics, and my positions.”

The controversy comes as Duwaji, 28, has gained increased visibility in recent months. In late December, she appeared on the digital cover of New York Magazine, where she gave an interview and participated in a photo shoot highlighting her work as an artist.

In the profile, Duwaji acknowledged that her husband’s rising political profile had affected her own level of privacy. She said she came to realize that Mamdani’s public life inevitably involved her as well.

“I realized that it was not just his thing but our thing,” she said in the interview.

Duwaji also reflected on how early media coverage of Mamdani focused on her identity as his spouse. She recalled feeling unsettled when one of the first articles about him after his rise to prominence asked, “Who Is Zohran Mamdani’s Wife?”

“I wasn’t necessarily offended,” she said, “but it was more about the perception of being seen as someone’s wife.”