A controversial flag thrust Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s wife in the spotlight. Who is she?

The wife of Justice Samuel Alito has maintained a relatively low profile ever since her husband joined the highest court in the land in 2006.

But that all changed earlier this month, when The New York Times reported that an upside-down American flag favored by election deniers was flown outside the couple’s home — and Justice Alito blamed the debacle on his wife, Martha-Ann Alito.

So who is the Supreme Court justice’s now-infamous spouse? In a 2006 interview with The Sunday Star-Ledger, she was described as a former Libertarian whofocused most on her family.

“For the most part, we all recognize that everyone has the right to say as they wish. The most amazing part is, why do people care about our life?” she told the paper about the scrutiny at the time.

“I have friends who have serious family and health issues, so for us, this was something that had to be endured,” she added. “It was not a big issue for us, it was going to happen positively or negatively. Those were the only two choices. God consoled us and supported us and provided us love. That was a really important part of what got us through. God and our family – we are a very small, close family.”

One of the most talked-about moments of Justice Alito’s confirmation hearings was when she burst into tears and left the room. On the third day of the hearings, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina mocked the aggressive questioning of Justice Alito, asking if he was a “closet bigot,” adding an apology to his family for having to “sit here and listen to this.”

“It was very spontaneous,” Ms Alito told The Sunday Star-Ledger. “And it was simply that one can endure blows, but when tenderness comes into the mix, your reserves are pretty much shot, at least for me.”

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