Rama Duwaji, the spouse of Zohran Mamdani, faced a wave of criticism online after expressing her thoughts on fame during her appearance on the cover of The Cut’s special issue.

At 28, the visual artist took the spotlight in a striking photoshoot, marking her first public interview since her husband, 34, secured victory in the 2025 New York City mayoral race.

In this landmark interview, Duwaji discussed her feelings about her new status as New York City’s First Lady, candidly describing it as a ‘surreal’ experience.

Reflecting on her role, Duwaji shared with the magazine, “When I first heard the title, it felt so formal and almost as if it was not meant for me. It was more of a question of, really, me…?”

She added, “Now, I’ve come to embrace it more fully, realizing that there are various ways to fulfill this role.”

Duwaji was adamant that she didn’t want to be known as ‘the mayor’s plus-one’ and said she planned to continue her work as an artist despite her new role.

Photographed in loaned designer clothes, she said: ‘At the end of the day, I’m not a politician. 

‘I’m here to be a support system for Z and to use the role in the best way that I can as an artist.

Zohran Mamdani’s wife Rama Duwaji has been slammed online after she shared her views on fame while gracing the cover of The Cut’s special issue 

The visual artist is set to become the First Lady of New York City after her husband Zohran Mamdani won the 2025 New York City mayoral election. They’re seen last month

‘I’m absolutely going to be focused on being a working artist. I’m definitely not stopping that.’ 

She also spoke about the downsides to ‘suddenly having a million eyes on her work,’ adding, ‘It makes you have the urge to clean stuff up.

‘You do overthink small things. But luckily, I just live in denial. I try not to think of Instagram as my audience and more me and my art peers. I can’t think about that big of an audience.’

She vowed that her ‘top priority’ was going to be ‘using her position to highlight talented, under covered artists.’ 

But her comments about fame did not go over well with some, as many people rushed to X to slam her.

‘I call BS. She loves [the attention]. She’ll be Vogue’s new “darling,”‘ wrote one user.

‘Rama Duwaji’s sudden allergy to fame? Please. She spent years building Mamdani’s activist-chic brand … and posing for Vogue spreads while he gutted NYPD funding. Now she’s shocked people notice her? Mamdani’s entire regime is performative narcissism,’ scathed another.

‘It doesn’t look like she has a problem opening up,’ someone else sarcastically penned.

Talking about her new role, she told The Cut: ‘I’m here to be a support system for Z and to use the role in the best way that I can as an artist’ 

‘Maybe she can do a podcast with Michele Obama and they can commiserate about how tough their lives are, and what a horrible country this is,’ read a fourth tweet.

Elsewhere in the interview, Duwaji admitted that she didn’t really know what an assemblymember was when she first met her husband four years ago. 

‘But I had indicated to him that I was politically inclined – not necessarily being in politics but being political, caring about people – so it wasn’t an ick to me,’ she added. 

‘It was like, Oh, that’s his job. Like, I’m an artist; he’s an assemblymember.’

Mamdani also recalled his first encounter with Duwaji in the feature. 

The pair matched on the dating app Hinge in 2021 when she was just 24 and he was a 29-year-old with already blossoming political ambitions.

‘My first impression was that I could not believe how beautiful she was,’ Mamdani told the publication.

Duwaji also shed light on her first date with Mamdani in 2021 after they matched on Hinge. They’re seen last month

‘I actually called one of my closest friends after just seeing her profile, without even having been matched, and said, “I think this is someone special.”‘

Despite backlash over her comments, The Cut’s Duwaji cover shoot and accompanying profile has also been applauded by some fans online.

One supporter wrote on Reddit: ‘Gorgeous. I love that they styled her as the artist she is!’

‘Now this is a fun and beautiful shoot!’ another said. ‘I love that it’s also in homage of her own artistry, such a cool concept.’

‘Looked exactly like her own artwork,’ added a third. ‘This pictorial is flawless.’

‘These are history book worthy portraits,’ a fourth said. ‘And by that, I mean literally going to be in my future grandchildren’s AP History textbooks.’

Another commented: ‘She looks like a painting. Stunning and talented; some people really have it all!’

Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City in a political earthquake in November.

He is set to become the Big Apple’s first Muslim mayor on January 1 after he defeated former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa in a race that became a massive flashpoint in national politics.

Mamdani will be sworn in on New Year’s Day.