Jesse Watters is an American conservative political commentator and television host on Fox News.
He is best known for his interviews with ordinary people and his show Watters’ World, which he launched in 2015.
He is also the host of Jesse Watters Primetime and co-host of The Five. In 2021, he published his first book, How I Saved the World.
File
- Full Name: Jesse Bailey Watters
- Date of birth: July 9, 1978
- Age: 45 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Political commentator and television presenter
- Height: 6 feet (1.83 m)
- Parents: Stephen Hapgood Watters (father), Anne Purvis (mother)
- Siblings: None
- Spouse: Emma DiGiovine (married 2019-present), Noelle Inguagiato Watters (married 2009-divorced 2018)
- Children: Sophie and Ellie Watters (twin daughters, born 2011), Jesse Bailey Watters Jr. (son, born 2021)
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: $5 million
Early life and education
Jesse Watters is 45 years old and was born on July 9, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. He is the son of Stephen Hapgood Watters, a teacher, and Anne Purvis, a child psychologist.
He comes from a distinguished family background as his maternal great-grandfather was Morton Bailey, publisher of The Saturday Evening Post, and his maternal great-grandfather was politician Morton S. Bailey.
He was also related to New Hampshire State Senator David H. Watters and ballet dancer Harper Watters. Watters grew up in the Germantown neighborhood and later the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia.
Before moving to Long Island, New York with his family, he attended William Penn Charter School until his junior year. He graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, with a BA in History in 2001.
Personal life
Jesse Watters has been married twice and has three children. He married former Fox News anchor Noelle Inguagiato Watters in 2009.
They have twin daughters, Sophie and Ellie, who were born in November 2011. However, their marriage ended in divorce in 2018 after Watters admitted to having an affair with Emma DiGiovine, a former Fox News producer.
Watters and DiGiovine married in December 2019. They have a son, Jesse Bailey Watters Jr., born in April 2021.
Career
Jesse Watters began his career as a production assistant at Fox News in 2002. He joined The O’Reilly Factor as a staffer in 2003 and began appearing on-air in segments of the O’Reilly show in 2004.
He is known for his live interviews with people, featured in his column Watters’ World, where he asks people questions about politics, culture and current events.
He often uses humor, irony and sarcasm in interviews, sometimes causing criticism and controversy.
In 2014, Watters debuted on the Fox News show Outnumbered, later appearing occasionally as a guest co-host.
In 2015, Watters’ World became a monthly program on Fox News. In 2017, the show became a weekly program, airing on Saturdays at 8 p.m. That same year, he became a co-host of the roundtable show The Five, replacing Eric Bolling.
In 2021, he published his first book, How I Saved the World, a collection of his stories and opinions on various topics. In 2022, he became the host of Jesse Watters Primetime, a nightly show that replaced The Story with Martha MacCallum.
Net worth
Jesse Watters has an estimated net worth of $5 million.
He earns an annual salary of $2 million from Fox News, where he has worked for nearly two decades. He also makes money from book sales and public appearances.
Argumentative
Jesse Watters has been embroiled in much controversy throughout his career, largely due to his provocative and controversial statements and interviews.
Some of the most notable are:
- In 2016, he faced backlash for his segment about New York City’s Chinatown, in which he asked Asian Americans stereotypical and offensive questions, such as “Do you know karate?” and “Do I have to bow when I say hello?” He was accused of being racist, xenophobic, and mocking Asian culture. He later apologized for the segment and regretted if anyone found it offensive.
- In 2017, he made an innuendo about Ivanka Trump, saying he “really liked the way she spoke into the microphone” while she was speaking in Berlin. He was criticized for making sexual innuendos and disrespecting the president’s daughter. He denied any ill intent and said he was commenting on her accent.
- In 2018, he admitted to having an affair with Emma DiGiovine, a former Fox News producer, while he was still married to Noelle Inguagiato Watters. He informed the network about the relationship and was briefly reprimanded. He later divorced his wife and married DiGiovine. His ex-wife filed a lawsuit against him and Fox News, accusing him of causing emotional distress and harassment.
- In 2020, he claimed that the coronavirus pandemic was a hoax and that Democrats were using it to hurt Trump’s reelection chances. He also downplayed the severity of the virus and the need for social distancing and mask-wearing. He later changed his tune and said he took the virus seriously and followed the guidelines.
Social media
- Twitter: @JesseBWatters
- Instagram: @jessewatters
