Kyle Rittenhouse says venomous spider ‘did not survive’ after its bite landed him in hospital

Kyle Rittenhouse, the firebrand firearms activist acquitted in the 2020 Kenosha protest shootings, was hospitalized Wednesday, May 6, after being bitten by a venomous brown recluse spider. The 23-year-old shared photos from a hospital bed on X along with a close-up image showing the bite on his leg. “The communists couldn’t take me out and i’ll be damned if I let a brown recluse take me out,” he wrote in his initial post.

He did not disclose where or when the bite occurred, or where he was being treated. In a follow-up post, Rittenhouse joked that his only disappointment was failing to gain superpowers, writing, “Disappointed I’m not Spider-Man now.” He later confirmed the spider had not survived the encounter.



His wife, Bella, also reacted humorously to the incident, joking that the spider had been “neutralized” and saying Rittenhouse now believes he could wake up with “spidey senses” any day now.


According to Poison.org, brown recluse spiders are rarely seen or identified, and their bites often are not felt immediately. The spider’s venom can cause injury and death (necrosis) of surrounding tissue, while severe cases may damage deeper tissues. Serious illness and death, however, remain rare.

As per Cleveland Clinic, spider bites, including those from brown recluse spiders, cause only a few deaths each year in the US, most commonly involving children.

Rittenhouse rose to national fame after fatally shooting two men and wounding a third during protests in Kenosha in August 2020, when he was 17. He was acquitted on all five charges connected to the shootings after arguing self-defense.

He currently serves as chief firearms instructor and director of partnerships for Texas Gun Rights, which describes itself as the “largest no-compromise gun rights organization” in the state.