Gretchen Elizabeth Carlson (born June 21, 1966) is an American broadcast journalist, author, and
television personality
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
. Carlson appeared as the host of numerous television programs, most notably on the Saturday edition of ''
The Early Show
''The Early Show'' is an American morning television show that aired on CBS from November 1, 1999 to January 7, 2012, and the ninth attempt at a morning news-talk program by the network since 1954. The program aired Monday through Friday from ...
'' on
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 48 H ...
from 2002 to 2005,
Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
's morning show ''
Fox & Friends
''Fox & Friends'' is an American daily morning news and talk program that airs on Fox News. It premiered on February 1, 1998, and is currently hosted by Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade on weekdays. Will Cain, Rachel Campos-Du ...
'' from 2005 to 2013, and ''
The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson'' on Fox News from 2013 to 2016.
In July 2016, Carlson filed a lawsuit against then Fox News chairman and CEO
Roger Ailes
Roger Eugene Ailes (May 15, 1940 – May 18, 2017) was an American television executive and media consultant. He was the chairman and CEO of Fox News, Fox Television Stations and 20th Television. Ailes was a media consultant for Republican ...
claiming sexual harassment. Subsequently, dozens of other women also stepped forward to accuse Ailes of harassment, and Ailes resigned under pressure. In September 2016, Carlson and
21st Century Fox
Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., doing business as 21st Century Fox (21CF), was an American multinational mass media corporation that was based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was one of the two companies formed on June 28, 2013, f ...
settled
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area.
A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer.
Settle ...
the lawsuit reportedly for $20 million and Carlson received a public apology.
Carlson was one of the first high publicity cases of 2016's
#MeToo movement.
Carlson was named one of ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine's
100 Most Influential People In The World in 2017. She has written two bestselling books, her memoir, ''Getting Real'', and the
''New York Times'' bestseller ''Be Fierce: Stop Harassment and Take Your Power Back''.
About three decades after the former beauty pageant contestant was crowned
Miss America 1989, Carlson served as chairwoman of the board of directors of the
Miss America Organization
Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
from 2018 to 2019, implementing changes to shift the focus of the pageant from appearances to achievements. Also in 2019, she co-founded
Lift Our Voices to ban
non-disclosure agreement
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal contract or part of a contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish ...
s (NDAs) and
forced arbitration clauses in employment agreements in the American workplace so that victims of sexual harassment, pay inequity, and workplace toxicity would not be forcibly silenced by them; she and other founders of the movement regard these tactics as retaliation against victims.
Carlson joined
PEOPLE (the TV Show!) as a special contributor in October 2020. She focuses on stories that highlight everyday American heroes doing inspirational acts.
In February 2022, the
U.S. Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
passed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, a law championed by Carlson which excludes sexual assault and sexual harassment complaints from
arbitration clause
An arbitration clause is a clause in a contract that requires the parties to resolve their disputes through an arbitration process. Although such a clause may or may not specify that arbitration occur within a specific jurisdiction, it always bind ...
s, including
retroactively. On March 3, 2022,
President Joe Biden signed the bill into law.
Early life and education
Carlson was born in
Coon Rapids,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, the daughter of Karen Barbara ( Hyllengren) and Lee Roy Carlson, one of four children.
[ Her father studied business at ]Gustavus Adolphus College
Gustavus Adolphus College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in St. Peter, Minnesota. It was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans led by Eric Norelius and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Gustavus gets its nam ...
and later became owner/operator of Main Motor Sales, an automobile dealership started by her grandfather in 1919. Carlson, whose grandfather was a minister, is of Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
descent through both parents. One of her childhood babysitters was Michele Bachmann
Michele Marie Bachmann (; née Amble; born April 6, 1956) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 2007 until 2015. A member of the Republican Party, she was a candidate for President of the United States in the 20 ...
, the future Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
congresswoman
A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
who ran for president.
Carlson's hometown of Anoka, Minnesota
Anoka ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 17,142 at the 2010 census. Anoka is the
"Halloween Capital of the World" because it hosted one of the first Halloween parades in 1920. It ...
, calls itself the "Halloween Capital of the World" and hosts the state's second largest parade, of which Carlson served as grand marshal
Grand marshal is a ceremonial, military rank, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "marshal" with the first usage of the term "grand marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders. ...
in 2004.
In her youth, Carlson was a violinist
The following lists of violinists are available:
* List of classical violinists, notable violinists from the baroque era onwards
* List of contemporary classical violinists, notable contemporary classical violinists
* List of violinist/composers, ...
who performed on radio and television. She studied with Dorothy DeLay
Dorothy DeLay (March 31, 1917 – March 24, 2002) was an American violin instructor, primarily at the Juilliard School, Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of Cincinnati.
Life
Dorothy DeLay was born on March 31, 1917, in Medicine Lodg ...
at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City, and with Mary West of the MacPhail Center For Music in Minneapolis. Carlson performed in several competitions, such as the Stulberg International String Competition, where she was a finalist in 1982, the American String Teachers Association
The American String Teachers Association (ASTA) is a professional organization for bowed string music teachers based in the United States. It is the largest organization in the U.S. for string teachers. ASTA serves teachers and students in all are ...
, where she won second place in 1981 to Joshua Bell
Joshua David Bell (born December 9, 1967) is an American violinist and conductor. He plays the Gibson Stradivarius.
Early life and education
Bell was born in Bloomington, Indiana, to Shirley Bell, a therapist, and Alan P. Bell, a psychologis ...
, who became a world famous concert violinist, and the Friends of Minnesota Orchestra, where she won in 1979, performing as a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra
The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded originally as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1903, the Minnesota Orchestra plays most of its concerts at Minneapolis's Orchestra Hall.
History
Em ...
as a prize at just thirteen years old. She attended Aspen Music Festival
The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) is a classical music festival held annually in Aspen, Colorado.
It is noted both for its concert programming and the musical training it offers to mostly young-adult music students. Founded in 1949, the ...
from 1976 to 1983, and was a member of the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony from 1980 to 1984. Carlson graduated from Anoka-Hennepin School District 11
The Anoka-Hennepin School District 11 is a school district in Minnesota, northwest of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The district serves 13 communities: All of Anoka, Champlin and Coon Rapids, and parts of Andover, Blaine, Brooklyn Center, Broo ...
's Anoka High School
Anoka High School is a four-year public high school located in Anoka, Minnesota, United States. It serves grades 9– 12 for the Anoka-Hennepin School District 11.
History
The first Anoka High School was opened in 1904 and located in downtown An ...
, where she was the 1984 valedictorian.
Carlson was crowned Miss Minnesota in June 1988 and became Miss America
Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
1989 on September 10, 1988. She was the first classical violinist to win those titles. Following Carlson's Miss America win, she was invited to meet President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
in the Oval Office
The Oval Office is the formal working space of the President of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is located in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C.
The oval-shaped room ...
. She made many television appearances during her year of service, including appearing on ''The David Letterman Show
''The David Letterman Show'' is an American morning talk show that was hosted by David Letterman on NBC. It originally aired from June 23 to October 24, 1980. Originally, the series lasted 90 minutes, then 60 minutes from August 4 onward.
Back ...
'', where he jokingly asked her out on a date. After Carlson's appearance as a newscaster in a sketch on ''Bloopers and Practical Jokes with Ed McMahon
Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an American announcer, game show host, comedian, actor, singer, and combat aviator. McMahon and Johnny Carson began their association in their first TV series, the ABC game sh ...
and Dick Clark
Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American radio and television personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 198 ...
'', television agents began calling, eventually launching her career in broadcast television.
Carlson graduated from Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
in 1990 with honors, where she studied organizational behavior
Organizational behavior (OB) or organisational behaviour is the: "study of human behavior in organizational settings, the interface between human behavior and the organization, and the organization itself".Moorhead, G., & Griffin, R. W. (1995) ...
. She spent a study-abroad period at Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, studying the works of Virginia Woolf
Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device.
Woolf was born i ...
. She was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma
Kappa Kappa Gamma (), also known simply as Kappa or KKG, is a collegiate sorority founded at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, United States.
It has a membership of more than 260,000 women, with 140 collegiate chapters in the United States a ...
sorority. Carlson planned to attend law school after Stanford and completed the LSAT exam, but instead focused on a career in broadcast journalism.
In September 2011, Carlson was named to the inaugural class of the Anoka High School Hall of Fame.
Career
Early career and CBS News
A year after becoming Miss America
Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
in 1989, Carlson secured a role on WRIC-TV
WRIC-TV (channel 8) is a television station licensed to Petersburg, Virginia, United States, serving the Richmond area as an affiliate of ABC. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, the station maintains studios in unincorporated Chesterfield County (w ...
, an ABC-affiliated television station serving Richmond, Virginia
(Thus do we reach the stars)
, image_map =
, mapsize = 250 px
, map_caption = Location within Virginia
, pushpin_map = Virginia#USA
, pushpin_label = Richmond
, pushpin_m ...
as a co-anchor on the network and political commentator. ''Style Weekly
''Style Weekly'' is an online alternative media outlet that was previously an alternative weekly newspaper started in November 1982 for news, arts, culture and opinion in Richmond, Virginia.
Style was originally owned by Landmark Media Enterpri ...
'' deemed it a coup for WRIC-TV
WRIC-TV (channel 8) is a television station licensed to Petersburg, Virginia, United States, serving the Richmond area as an affiliate of ABC. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, the station maintains studios in unincorporated Chesterfield County (w ...
at the time. In 1992, she joined WCPO-TV
WCPO-TV (channel 9) is a television station in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is the flagship television property of locally based E. W. Scripps Company, which has owned the station since its inception. WCPO-TV's ...
, serving Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
as a media commentator and remained at the station for a period of two years. She later worked at WOIO
WOIO (channel 19) is a television station licensed to Shaker Heights, Ohio, United States, serving the Cleveland area as an affiliate of CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power Telemundo affiliate WTCL-LD (channel 6) and Lorai ...
/WUAB in Cleveland, Ohio, where Carlson and her colleague Denise Dufala, became the first women to co-anchor a primetime major-market newscast.
Following her time in Cleveland, Carlson served as a weekend anchor and reporter for KXAS
KXAS-TV (channel 5) is a television station licensed to Fort Worth, Texas, United States, broadcasting NBC programming to the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division along ...
-TV in Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
/Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
, from 1998 to 2000.
In both Dallas and Cleveland, Carlson performed her own rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...
" on the violin for Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
games.
Carlson moved to the national television scene as a national correspondent in 2000 and in 2002, she became the co-anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ἄγ ...
of the Saturday edition of ''The Early Show
''The Early Show'' is an American morning television show that aired on CBS from November 1, 1999 to January 7, 2012, and the ninth attempt at a morning news-talk program by the network since 1954. The program aired Monday through Friday from ...
'' on CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
along with Russ Mitchell
Russell Edward Mitchell (born March 25, 1960) is an American journalist best known for his career at CBS where he was anchor of ''The Early Show'' on Saturday, news anchor for ''The Early Show'' during the week, and weekend anchor of the ''CB ...
. Carlson frequently anchored the weekend edition of the CBS Evening News during her time at the network.
There were several cultural moments that Carlson reported on in her early career as a reporter including the Oklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a domestic terrorist truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, on April 19, 1995. Perpetrated by two anti-government extremists, Timothy McVeigh and Terry N ...
and the O. J. Simpson murder case
''The People of the State of California v. Orenthal James Simpson'' was a criminal trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court starting in 1994, in which O. J. Simpson, a former National Football League (NFL) player, broadcaster and actor, was ...
while at WOIO in Cleveland, and the Timothy McVeigh execution, the September 11 terrorist attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...
, and various G7 Summit
The Group of Seven (G7) is an inter-governmental, intergovernmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States; additionally, the European Union (EU) is a "non-enumerated membe ...
meetings while at CBS News.
Fox News
Carlson first appeared on ''Fox & Friends
''Fox & Friends'' is an American daily morning news and talk program that airs on Fox News. It premiered on February 1, 1998, and is currently hosted by Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade on weekdays. Will Cain, Rachel Campos-Du ...
'' as a weekend substitute host in 2006. On September 25, 2006, after a shifting of anchors, which included E.D. Hill
Edith Ann "E.D." Hill (''née'' Tarbox; born July 27, 1961), known professionally as E.D. Donahey during her second marriage, is an American journalist. She has been a news anchor and radio host and formerly worked for the Fox News Channel.
...
moving to the 10 a.m. hour of ''Fox News Live
''Fox News Live'' is an American news- talk television program, the hard-news daytime programming of the Fox News Channel. It also referred to the short headline segments of nearly every hour on Fox News.
About
The show featured news, guest anal ...
'', Carlson became the anchor of ''Fox & Friends''. She co-hosted with Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade
Brian Kilmeade (born May 7, 1964) is an American television and radio presenter and political commentator for Fox News. On weekdays he co-hosts the morning show, ''Fox & Friends'', and he hosts the Fox News Radio program ''The Brian Kilmeade Sho ...
for almost 8 years. In 2012, she walked off the set of ''Fox & Friends'' when on-air colleagues made offensive comment about women in the workplace. In 2013, Carlson admitted on Brian Kilmeade's radio show that Fox News female anchors were not allowed to wear pants. Despite dress code restrictions, Carlson was known for doing push-ups when military personnel were guests on the show. Carlson returned to ''Fox and Friends'' in 2014 during a ''Cooking With Friends'' segment with her children and again in 2015 to promote her memoir
A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobi ...
''Getting Real''.
Carlson left ''Fox & Friends'' in September 2013 to anchor a one-hour daytime program, '' The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson'', beginning in the fall of 2013, taking part of the slot opened by Megyn Kelly
Megyn Marie Kelly (; born November 18, 1970) is an American journalist and media personality. She currently hosts a talk show and podcast, ''The Megyn Kelly Show'', that airs live daily on SiriusXM. She was a talk show host at Fox News from 200 ...
's move to primetime
Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
. She began covering stories that supported women's rights, including a piece on Robin Wright
Robin Gayle Wright (born April 8, 1966) is an American actress. She has won a Golden Globe Award and a Satellite Award, and has received eleven Emmy Award nominations for her work in television.
Wright first gained attention for her role in t ...
of the Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
series ''House of Cards
A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an expression that dates back to 1645 meaning a structu ...
'' demanding the same salary as Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolades ...
. In 2013, Carlson became the first cable news television anchor to go on air with no makeup. Just three weeks before she was fired, she came forward in support of the assault weapons ban.
During her tenure at Fox News Carlson covered multiple world events including both the first
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
and second inauguration of Barack Obama
The second inauguration of Barack Obama as president of the United States was the 57th inauguration and marked the commencement of the second and final term of Obama as president and Joe Biden as vice president. A private swearing-in ceremony to ...
, the Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton took place on Friday, 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The groom was second in the line of succession to the British throne. The couple had been in a relationship since ...
, and the Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...
and Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...
in 2008 and 2012.
2016–present
Miss America Organization
On January 1, 2018, Carlson was elected chairwoman of the board of directors of the Miss America Organization
Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
, a volunteer position. Shortly after joining as chairwoman, Carlson's first major decision was to remove the swimsuit competition
A swimsuit competition, more commonly now called a bikini contest, is a beauty contest which is judged and ranked while contestants wear a swimsuit, typically a bikini. One of the judging criteria is the physical attractiveness of the contestants. ...
from the pageant
Pageant may refer to:
* Procession or ceremony in elaborate costume
* Beauty pageant, or beauty contest
* Latter Day Saint plays and pageants, run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or by members local to the area of the pageant
* ...
, following a unanimous vote from the board of directors. Carlson's goals were to transition the pageant into "Miss America 2.0", where the swimsuit competitions would be replaced with on-stage interviews. The move aimed to shift focus from appearances to achievements, in light of the Me Too movement. The move divided opinion mostly within the organization.
In early 2019, it was announced that the Miss America
Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
brand would return to NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
. After securing the network deal, Carlson resigned from Chairwoman of the Board in June 2019.
Other television and media
In April 2018, Carlson reached a first-look development deal with A&E Networks
A&E Networks (stylized as A+E NETWORKS) is an American multinational broadcasting company that is a 50–50 joint venture between Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company through its General Entertainment Content division. The company o ...
, under which she would host three documentary specials across its channels, such as Lifetime. ''Gretchen Carlson: Breaking the Silence'' focuses on the every woman story of workplace sexual harassment and premiered on Lifetime on January 14, 2019.
In May 2018, Carlson was a correspondent on an episode of the television documentary series '' America Divided'', which airs on Epix
Epix (pronounced ''epics'' and stylized as P) is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by the Epix Entertainment LLC subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), a subsidiary of Amazon's MGM Holdings, Inc. The channel's pr ...
. Carlson produced her episode with Norman Lear, titled "Washington's War on Women" about sexual harassment on Capitol Hill.
Carlson also hosted '' Live PD Presents: Women on Patrol'' and '' Escaping Polygamy'' on Lifetime in 2018. In August 2019, it was announced that Carlson would host two hourlong documentaries from the "Beyond the Headlines" franchise. The first called '' Escaping the NXIVM Cult: A Mother's Fight to Save Her Daughter'', and the second ''The College Admissions Scandal
''The College Admissions Scandal'' is a 2019 TV film that aired on Lifetime as part of its "Ripped from the Headlines" feature film. The film is based on the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal and stars Penelope Ann Miller, Mia Kirshner, an ...
''.
In December 2019, Carlson wrote an opinion article in ''The New York Times'', stating that she still cannot disclose what happened to her due to a nondisclosure agreement, but that it was her desire to be able to do so.
In January 2020, Carlson announced a new television deal with Blumhouse Productions
Blumhouse Productions (; also known as BH Productions or simply BH) is an American film and television production company founded in 2000 by Jason Blum.
It is known mainly for producing horror films, such as ''Paranormal Activity'', ''Insidio ...
to produce a new interview style series.
In October 2020, it was announced that Carlson would join '' PEOPLE (the TV Show!)'' as a special contributor. In the new program from PeopleTV, Carlson will highlight everyday American heroes.
In April 2021, Carlson and her life story was featured on the PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
television program Finding Your Roots
''Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'' is a documentary television series hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. that premiered on March 25, 2012, on PBS. In each episode, celebrities are presented with a "book of life" that is compiled with ...
in order to explore her family genealogy. It was shown through investigative and DNA research that she is a full-blooded Scandinavian-American
Nordic and Scandinavian Americans are Americans of Scandinavian and/or Nordic ancestry, including Danish Americans (estimate: 1,453,897), Faroese Americans, Finnish Americans (estimate: 653,222), Greenlandic Americans, Icelandic Americans (es ...
, and that much of her family originated in Småland
Småland () is a historical province () in southern Sweden.
Småland borders Blekinge, Scania, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means ''Small Lands''. The Latinized fo ...
, Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
.
Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act
Me Too movement
On July 6, 2016, Carlson filed a sexual harassment
Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fro ...
lawsuit against Fox News chairman Roger Ailes
Roger Eugene Ailes (May 15, 1940 – May 18, 2017) was an American television executive and media consultant. He was the chairman and CEO of Fox News, Fox Television Stations and 20th Television. Ailes was a media consultant for Republican ...
in the Superior Court of New Jersey and confirmed on her Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
account that she was no longer with Fox News. In her complaint, Carlson alleged that she was fired from her program for refusing Ailes's sexual advances. Ailes at the time claimed the accusations were false, while the law firm representing Carlson claimed ten other women had contacted them to speak of Ailes' behavior at Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
and throughout his television career.
Carlson's allegations received widespread media coverage. After Carlson came forward, six more women spoke to Gabriel Sherman
Gabriel Sherman is an American author. In 2014, he wrote a biography about Fox News Channel president Roger Ailes called '' The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News – and Divided a Country'', whic ...
of ''New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
'' magazine, alleging that Ailes had sexually harassed them and that Ailes "spoke openly of expecting women to perform sexual favors in exchange for job opportunities". Shortly thereafter, Carlson sat down for an interview with John Koblin of ''The New York Times'', saying, "I wanted to stand up for other women who may be facing similar circumstances."
As the case progressed, Carlson reached out directly to her fans, thanking them in a series of Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
videos and offering her support for fellow victims of sexual harassment. She also criticized Fox's attempt to force her claims to be adjudicated via closed-door mandatory arbitration
An arbitration clause is a clause in a contract that requires the parties to resolve their disputes through an arbitration process. Although such a clause may or may not specify that arbitration occur within a specific jurisdiction, it always bind ...
rather than in court. Fox filed court papers arguing that Carlson was compelled by her contract to adjudicate her claims in arbitration. Carlson said: "Forcing victims of sexual harassment into secret arbitration proceedings is wrong, because it means nobody finds out what really happened."
After Ailes resigned on July 21, 2016, Carlson said she felt "relief that now I would be believed", though she also "felt angry that it took so long" for Ailes to step down. Eight days later, her Fox program '' The Real Story'' aired its final episode.
On September 6, 2016, 21st Century Fox announced that it had settled the lawsuit with Carlson for $20 million. As part of the settlement, 21st Century Fox apologized to Carlson, saying, "We sincerely regret and apologize for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of our colleagues deserve."
Philanthropy and public work
Since her harassment complaint became public, Carlson has focused her public work to modify laws that protect predators
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
. In December 2017, she joined a bipartisan coalition of legislators to introduce the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, which voids forced arbitration agreements that prevent sexual harassment survivors from getting their day in court. Co-sponsors of the bill were Senators Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from New York since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as member of the U.S. House of ...
(D-NY) and Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Olin Graham (born July 9, 1955) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from South Carolina, a seat he has held since 2003. A member of the Republican Party, Graham chaired the Senate Committee ...
(R-SC) and Representatives Cheri Bustos
Cheryl Lea Bustos ( ; née Callahan; born October 17, 1961) is an American journalist, healthcare executive, and politician who is the U.S. representative from Illinois's 17th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party ...
(D-IL) and Elise Stefanik
Elise Marie Stefanik (; born July 2, 1984) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2015. As chair of the House Republican Conference since 2021, she is the third-ranking House Republican. Stefanik's district cover ...
(R-NY). The bill was reintroduced in the House in February 2019. Carlson testified before the House Judiciary Committee
The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, a ...
in May, 2019. In February 2022, the U.S. Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
passed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, which excludes sexual assault and sexual harassment complaints from arbitration clauses, including retroactively. The law was championed by Carlson, who was sexually harassed for many years by then Chairman and CEO of Fox News, Roger Ailes. On March 3, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the bill into law during a ceremony where Carlson was introduced by Vice President Kamala Harris. Carlson spoke about her 5 year journey to pass the bill on behalf of all survivors and then introduced President Biden to sign the bill. When the President signed the bill into law, Carlson was flanked by other survivors as well as the bipartisan coalition of Congressional members who supported the bill. After signing the bill into law, President Biden handed the pen used to Carlson.
Carlson created the Gift of Courage Fund in 2017 and partnered with the nonprofit organization All In Together to create the Gretchen Carlson Leadership Initiative, (GCLI) a program meant to "bring civic leadership and advocacy training to thousands of underserved women across the country, with a special focus on empowering women who have experienced gender-based violence, discrimination, or harassment." The initiative has hosted 13 community engagement workshops since its founding. In 2018, Carlson's Gift of Courage Fund also supplied the grant to create the Gretchen Carlson March of Dimes Advocacy Fellows, a program that selected 20 women from across the country to become more civically involved in promoting legislation and policies benefitting women and children. More recently, Carlson created the non-profit organization Lift Our Voices with the mission of eradicating arbitration clause
An arbitration clause is a clause in a contract that requires the parties to resolve their disputes through an arbitration process. Although such a clause may or may not specify that arbitration occur within a specific jurisdiction, it always bind ...
s in employment contracts and non-disclosure agreements
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal contract or part of a contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish ...
(NDAs) that serve to silence women and men in the workplace.
Carlson is a longtime supporter of Miss You Can Do It, a pageant with an emphasis "not on looks but courage". Founded by Abbey Curran, a former Miss Iowa USA
The Miss Iowa USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Iowa in the Miss USA pageant. It is directed by Future Productions based in Savage, Minnesota since 2008.
While Iowa has not been greatly successful ...
winner who was born with cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sensa ...
, the pageant honors girls and young women who live with special needs and challenges. It was the subject of an HBO documentary in 2013. In 2016, Carlson served as the pageant's MC. When its organizers fell short of their fundraising goals (threatening the cancellation of the pageant), Carlson volunteered to cover the remaining expenses. On social media, the pageant thanked her for "saving Miss You Can Do It".
Carlson serves on the March of Dimes
March of Dimes is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies. The organization was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, to comba ...
National Board as a trustee, the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation Gala Committee, The Advisory Committee for the Michelle Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
and the Advisory Committee of The Press Forward. She is also a member of Women Moving Millions, a global collective of women making unprecedented gifts of $1 million or more for the advancement of women and girls.
In 2017, Carlson was named one of ''Time'' magazine 100 Most Influential People in the World, was the recipient of the prestigious Matrix Award
Matrix most commonly refers to:
* ''The Matrix'' (franchise), an American media franchise
** ''The Matrix'', a 1999 science-fiction action film
** "The Matrix", a fictional setting, a virtual reality environment, within ''The Matrix'' (franchis ...
, and was named to ''Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' Most Powerful Women of Impact list. In 2018, she received the 2018 YWCA
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries.
The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...
Phenomenal Woman Award and the New York National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...
(NOW) Women of Power and Influence Award. In 2020, Carlson received the Sandra Day O'Connor Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arizona Foundation for Women. In July 2020, Carlson headlined a panel with Bethenny Frankel
Bethenny Frankel (born November 4, 1970) is an American businesswoman, television personality, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and author. She starred in the Bravo television series ''The Real Housewives of New York City'', having appeared in eigh ...
on how global emergencies affect philanthropic priorities for Town & Country's 2020 Philanthropy Summit.
Lift Our Voices
At ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' 2019 Women in Entertainment ceremony, Carlson spoke about her lawsuit against Fox News over sexual harassment and announced her new anti-nondisclosure agreements
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal contract or part of a contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish ...
initiative, Lift Our Voices, (LOV) which she founded with former Fox News colleagues Julie Roginsky and Diana Falzone
Diana Falzone is an American journalist. Falzone is a contributing reporter for The Daily Beast. and her work has also been seen in Vanity Fair, Vice News and Buzzfeed. She is a former reporter for Foxnews.com, FoxNews.com and the former host of ...
. The organization advocates for laws banning the use of arbitration clauses in employment contracts and confidentiality agreements
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal contract or part of a contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish ...
in sexual harassment settlements. The initiative focuses on NDA's solely dealing with toxic workplace environment issues like sexual harassment, not those protecting trade secrets
Trade secrets are a type of intellectual property that includes formulas, practices, processes, designs, instruments, patterns, or compilations of information that have inherent economic value because they are not generally known or readily as ...
.
In November 2020, lawsuits discovered by ''Business Insider
''Insider'', previously named ''Business Insider'' (''BI''), is an American financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Insider''s parent company Insider Inc. has been owned by the German publ ...
'' found that multiple women had stated in legal filings that Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...
, the former New York City mayor
The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...
and presidential candidate, fostered a toxic, fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...
-like culture at his company during the 1990s. Carlson's organization LOV asked every Presidential candidate to sign on to supporting Lift Our Voices in January 2020. Every candidate did except for President Donald J. Trump, Senator Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...
, Senator Amy Klobuchar and Bloomberg. Soon thereafter, Carlson's organization wrote an op-ed in ''The Des Moines Register
''The Des Moines Register'' is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa.
History Early period
The first newspaper in Des Moines was the ''Iowa Star''. In July 1849, Barlow Granger began the paper in an abandoned log cabin by the junctio ...
'' encouraging the debate moderators in Iowa to ask the Democratic presidential candidates about their stance on NDAs. The question did appear on the debate and after appearing in his first and only presidential debate, Bloomberg ended his campaign partly due to the heavy scrutiny surrounding the topic of NDAs.
In 2021, Carlson and Roginsky, along with Cher Scarlett
Cher Scarlett (born ) is an American software engineer and writer. She is a workers' rights activist and has organized staff at Apple, Activision Blizzard, and Starbucks.
Scarlett, who has bipolar disorder, experienced struggles in her early l ...
, a labor activist in tech
Tech or The Tech may refer to:
* An abbreviation of technology or technician
* Tech Dinghy, an American sailing dinghy developed at MIT
* Tech (mascot), the mascot of Louisiana Tech University, U.S.
* Tech (river), in southern France
* "Tech" ...
, wrote an essay for ''The Olympian
''The Olympian'' is a newspaper based in Olympia, Washington, in the United States.
History
Olympia was home to the first newspaper to be published in modern-day Washington, ''The Columbian'', which published its first edition on September 11, ...
'' encouraging Washington State Legislature
The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senat ...
to pass a bill Scarlett had worked with on with House Representative Liz Berry and Senator Karen Keiser to expand protections for workers facing unlawful conduct in the workplace, disallowing employers from enforcing NDAs in cases of discrimination, assault, and harassment.
In popular culture
Gretchen Carlson has appeared on magazine covers ranging from ''Good Housekeeping
''Good Housekeeping'' is an American women's magazine featuring articles about women's interests, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, and health, as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good House ...
'' to ''Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
''. Vanessa Bayer
Vanessa Bayer (born November 14, 1981) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for being a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2010 to 2017, which earned her an Emmy nomination. She co-created, co-executive produces, and h ...
regularly impersonated Carlson during her tenure on NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
's ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
''. Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz; November 28, 1962) is an American comedian, political commentator, and television host. He hosted ''The Daily Show'', a satirical news program on Comedy Central, from 1999 to 2015 and now hosts ''Th ...
dedicated an entire segment to Carlson on ''The Daily Show
''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk and satirical news television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central with release shortly after on Paramount+. ''The Daily Show'' draws its comedy and satire form from ...
'' criticizing her for dumbing herself down to connect with the Fox News audience who he says, "sees intellect as an elitist flaw".
''The Loudest Voice'' miniseries
In 2019, Carlson's career at Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
was portrayed on the Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
miniseries, ''The Loudest Voice
''The Loudest Voice'' is a 2019 American drama television miniseries depicting Roger Ailes as he creates and guides the rise of Fox News. It is based on the 2014 book '' The Loudest Voice in the Room'', by Gabriel Sherman, and premiered June 30, ...
''. Her role as co-anchor at Fox News was depicted by actress Naomi Watts
Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. After her family moved to Australia, she made her film debut there in the drama '' For Love Alone'' (1986) and then appeared in three television series, '' Hey Dad..!'' (1990), '' ...
. Watts stated in interviews that the story of Carlson was "inspiring" and that she dealt with multiple scenarios with "dignity and grace".
Other cast members included Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor. He was born in New Zealand, spent ten years of his childhood in Australia, and moved there permanently at age twenty one. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maxi ...
as Roger Ailes, Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orville'' (since 2017), and co-creator ...
as Brian Lewis and Sienna Miller
Sienna Rosie Diana Miller (born December 28, 1981) is an American-British actress. Born in New York City and raised in London, she began her career as a photography model, appearing in the pages of Italian ''Vogue'' and for the 2003 Pirelli cal ...
as Beth Tilson. The fifth episode in the series portrayed the deteriorating working relationship between Carlson and Ailes from 2012 onwards. Many incidents were portrayed to the public for the first time, since Carlson was unable to speak directly about the events, due to a confidentiality clause in the settlement between her and Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
.
The series aired the audio recordings taken by Carlson during her time at Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
for the first time. The recordings were of various incidents at Fox where Carlson was sexually harassed
Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fro ...
by Ailes and other colleagues at Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
. The show also follows the incidents leading up to Carlson reporting the sexual harassment she received. ''The Loudest Voice
''The Loudest Voice'' is a 2019 American drama television miniseries depicting Roger Ailes as he creates and guides the rise of Fox News. It is based on the 2014 book '' The Loudest Voice in the Room'', by Gabriel Sherman, and premiered June 30, ...
'' then portrayed her demotion and the events that followed her filing the internal complaint, many of which were recorded. The recordings went on to play a major part in the settlement negotiations between Carlson and Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
.
''Bombshell'' film
'' Bombshell'', a film portraying Carlson's career at Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
, was released on December 13, 2019. Carlson is played by Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...
, with other cast members including Margot Robbie
Margot Elise Robbie (; born 2 July 1990) is an Australian actress and producer. Known for her work in both blockbuster and independent films, she has received several accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Golden Glob ...
as Kayla Pospisil (a composite character), Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron ( ; ; born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 20 ...
as Megyn Kelly
Megyn Marie Kelly (; born November 18, 1970) is an American journalist and media personality. She currently hosts a talk show and podcast, ''The Megyn Kelly Show'', that airs live daily on SiriusXM. She was a talk show host at Fox News from 200 ...
, and John Lithgow
John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. Lithgow studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his work on the stage and screen. He has been the recipient of numerous ...
as Roger Ailes
Roger Eugene Ailes (May 15, 1940 – May 18, 2017) was an American television executive and media consultant. He was the chairman and CEO of Fox News, Fox Television Stations and 20th Television. Ailes was a media consultant for Republican ...
. The film follows events at Fox News in the run-up to Ailes resigning from the organization after being exposed for sexual harassment.
Awards and recognition
Awards
*Cover of ''Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine's October 2016 issue
*Cover of ''Good Housekeeping
''Good Housekeeping'' is an American women's magazine featuring articles about women's interests, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, and health, as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good House ...
'' magazine's January 2017 issue
*''Time'' magazine's 100 Most Influential People In The World in 2017
*2017 New York Women in Communications Matrix Award
*2017 National Employment Lawyers Association Courage Award
*2017 American Association of Justice Award
*2018 "Champion for Change" Award at the Los Angeles Young Women's Christian Association Phenomenal Women Awards
*2018 Women of Power and Influence Award at the National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...
*NOW NYC Women of Courage Award 2018
*Texas Trailblazer Award 2017 from Family Place Domestic Violence Center in Dallas
*CAPS community service award - Long Island, NY 2018
*RTNDA (Radio, Television, Newspaper, Digital Association) 1st Amendment Award in DC 2019
*Center for Safety and Change Courage award 40th anniversary 2019
*Sandra Day O'Connor Lifetime Achievement Award — Arizona Foundation For Women 2020
Speeches
*TEDWomen
TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...
2017: "How we can end sexual harassment at work"
*TED Conversation with Chris Anderson and David Brooks (2017)
*The Forbes Women's Summit 2017
* Fortune Most Powerful Women 2018
*Women in the World 2017
*S.H.E. Summit 2017
*92nd Street Y
92nd Street Y, New York (92NY) is a cultural and community center located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the corner of East 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Founded in 1874 as the Young Men's Hebrew Association, the ...
2017
*AdWeek
''Adweek'' is a weekly American advertising trade publication that was first published in 1979. ''Adweek'' covers creativity, client–agency relationships, global advertising, accounts in review, and new campaigns. During this time, it has cover ...
Matrix Awards 2017
*Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (formerly the International Advertising Festival) is a global event for those working in creative communications, advertising, and related fields. It is considered the largest gathering of the ...
(2018)
*National Employment Lawyers Association Convention (NELA)(2017)
*American Association of Justice (2017)
*Nat'l Assoc of Women Lawyers 2018
*The Temple Emanu-el Streicker Center Panel Discussion with Joy Behar (2017)
*Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc., commonly known as Verizon, is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is headquartered at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in ...
Top Female Executives 2017
*The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis and Education
* Tory Burch Foundation Embrace Ambition Summit 2020
*Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...
(2017)
* Brunswick School for Boys (2017)
*Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
(2018)
*Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...
(2018)
*University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
(2018)
*Duke University
Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...
(2018)
*Yale Law School
Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by ''U ...
(2019)
Personal life
On October 4, 1997, Carlson married sports agent Casey Close
Casey Richard Close (born October 21, 1963) is a former American baseball player and sports agent.
University of Michigan
Close was born in Columbus, Ohio and graduated from Worthington High School before attending the University of Michigan on ...
. They live in Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich (, ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Conne ...
, with their two children.
She announced on ''Fox & Friends'' on June 9, 2009, and repeated on Glenn Beck
Glenn Lee Beck (born February 10, 1964) is an American conservative political commentator, radio host, entrepreneur, and television producer. He is the CEO, founder, and owner of Mercury Radio Arts, the parent company of his television and rad ...
's Fox News program, that her parents' car dealership had been selected for closure as part of the General Motors reorganization and bankruptcy. A year later, the Minneapolis ''Star Tribune
The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...
'' reported that "It took an act of Congress, a national TV appeal and maybe a little bit of history on the owners' side, but Main Motor, the Anoka car dealership that Lee and Karen Carlson's family has owned for 91 years, will keep its General Motors dealership after all."
Carlson remains an advocate of the arts from her experience as a child violinist. Both of Carlson's children are pianists. At the age of 9, Carlson's daughter organized a solo piano recital in their hometown of Greenwich, Connecticut to raise money for charity. Shortly after the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting
The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, United States, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people. Twenty of the victims were children between six and seven years old, and t ...
, Kaia's recital raised $5,000 for an animal sanctuary started in honor of victim Catherine Violet Hubbard. Today she serves on the teenage advisory board.
As a string instrumentalist in her youth, Carlson had admired cellist Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma (''Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...
, whom she eventually met when they both spoke at the 2019 Dreamforce Conference in San Francisco.
Bibliography
In 2015, Carlson released her first book, ''Getting Real'', a bestselling inspirational memoir about her life growing up in Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, her violin career, Miss America
Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
experience and television career.[
In 2017, Carlson released her second book, ''Be Fierce: Stop Harassment And Take Your Power Back''. The book discussed as much of Carlson's story at Fox News as she was allowed to comment on because of the NDA she signed, but also many other stories of sexual harassment in the workplace from women who reached out to Carlson after her story became public. The profits from the book, a ''New York Times'' bestseller, go to the Gift of Courage Fund.]
Carlson has appeared in two TED talks, one discussing women's rights and sexual harassment in the workplace, and the other discussing the hyper-partisan political times we live in and how we might come together as a nation to solve issues.
* Carlson, Gretchen: ''Getting Real''. New York City: Viking, 2015. .
* Carlson, Gretchen: ''Be Fierce: Stop Harassment and Take Your Power Back''. Center Street, 2017. .
References
External links
*
Gretchen Carlson
on Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
Gretchen Carlson
on Facebook
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Gretchen Carlson
on Twitter
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* Gretchen Carlson
How we can end sexual harassment at work
Talk at TEDWomen 2017, November 2017
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Carlson, Gretchen
1966 births
Living people
2017 in Internet culture
2017 in women's history
20th-century American journalists
20th-century American women musicians
20th-century classical violinists
21st-century American journalists
21st-century American women writers
Activists from Minnesota
American classical violinists
American human rights activists
American Lutherans
American people of Swedish descent
American social activists
American television news anchors
American women philanthropists
American women television journalists
Anoka High School alumni
CBS News people
Child classical musicians
Classical musicians from Minnesota
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Journalists from Minnesota
Miss America winners
Miss America 1980s delegates
Miss America Preliminary Talent winners
Musicians from Greenwich, Connecticut
People from Anoka, Minnesota
Sexual abuse victim advocates
Sexual harassment in the United States
Stanford University alumni
Women classical violinists
Women human rights activists
20th-century American violinists