Gretchen Carlson is an American radio journalist, author, and television personality. She is best known for her work as a news anchor and commentator on Fox News Channel from 2005 to 2016.
Carlson was one of the first high-profile women to speak out against sexual harassment in the workplace, and her lawsuit against Fox News CEO Roger Ailes helped spark the #MeToo movement.
File
- Full Name: Gretchen Elizabeth Carlson
- Date of birth: June 21, 1966
- Age: 57 years
- Gender: Female
- Place of birth: Anoka, Minnesota, United States
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Radio journalist, author, television personality
Early life and education
Currently 57 years old as of 2023, Gretchen Elizabeth Carlson was born on June 21, 1966, to a family of Swedish descent in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, in 1969.
Her father, Lee Roy Carlson, studied business at Gustavus Adolphus College and later became the owner/operator of Main Motor Sales, an automobile dealership founded by his father in 1919. Carlson’s mother, Karen Barbara (née Hyllengren), was a homemaker. Gretchen was one of four children.
Elizabeth’s musical talent was evident from an early age. She began playing the violin at the age of four and quickly became a talented performer.
She studied with Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City and Mary West at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis.
She graduated from Anoka High School in the Anoka-Hennepin School District 11 in 1984, where she was valedictorian. She then attended Harvard University, majoring in history and literature. After graduating from Harvard, Carlson worked as a political consultant and speechwriter for Republican politicians.
Personal life
In a private ceremony in Greenwich, Connecticut, Gretchen Carlson and sports agent Casey Close were married on October 4, 1997. The couple has two children, a son and a daughter.
Carlson and Close met in the early 1990s when Close was representing Carlson’s brother, Buckley. The two quickly fell in love and were married just a few years later.
Close is a successful sports agent, representing some of the biggest names in baseball, including Clayton Kershaw, Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander.
The couple live in a large estate in Greenwich, Connecticut with their two children. They are known for their private lifestyle and rarely speak publicly about their personal lives.
Career
Gretchen began her career as a news anchor in local television markets in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Dallas. In 2000, she joined CBS News as a correspondent for “Early Program“ .
She then moved to Fox News Channel in 2005, where she hosted the morning show “Fox and friends” and afternoon program “The True Story with Gretchen Carlson“ .
In 2016, Carlson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Fox News CEO Roger Ailes. The lawsuit alleged that Ailes made unwanted sexual advances toward Carlson and retaliated against her when she rejected him. The lawsuit was settled out of court for $20 million.
After leaving Fox News, Carlson founded his own production company, SevenFifty MediaShe has also written two books, “Be Strong: Stop Harassment and Take Back Your Power” And “Get Real: Own Your Own Life, Define Your Own Life, and Do What You Love.“
Net worth
Gretchen Carlson’s net worth as of 2023 is estimated to be $3 million.
Social media
- Instagram Name: @Gretchencarlson
- Twitter Username: @Gretchencarlson
