Jennifer Anne "Jenna" Lee (born ) is an American journalist and former anchor on the

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 ...

, where she co-hosted ''

Happening Now ''Happening Now'' was an American news- talk television program that aired on Fox News Channel from November 5, 2007 to June 8, 2018. It was hosted by Fox News anchor Jon Scott for its entire run, with the co-anchors being Jane Skinner and Jenna ...

'' with

Jon Scott Jonathan Arthur Scott (born November 7, 1958) is an American television news anchor who hosts '' Fox Report Weekend'' on Fox News. Also, Scott is the lead anchor for any breaking news each weekend. Jon Scott longtime co-anchored ''Happening Now ...

. Lee had previously co-anchored

Fox Business Fox Business (officially known as Fox Business Network, or FBN) is an American business news channel and website publication owned by the Fox News Media division of Fox Corporation. The channel broadcasts primarily from studios at 1211 Avenue ...

' early-morning business news program, ''Fox Business Morning'', with

Connell McShane Connell McShane (born August 4, 1977) is an American broadcaster, reporter and play-by-play commentator. He is currently the chief national correspondent for Fox Business. McShane previously anchored or hosted a number of programs, including ''Imus ...

Early life and education

Lee, a

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

native, was born to Janice and Bob Lee, a former

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

quarterback. Her brother,

Zac Lee Zac Lee (born April 26, 1987) is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at Nebraska Cornhuskers football, Nebraska. He is the son of former NF ...

, was also a professional quarterback. Lee's grandfather, Paul Kern Lee, was a war correspondent for the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

in San Francisco. Lee attended college at the

University of California, Santa Barbara The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduate ...

, where she played collegiate softball for the

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos are the intercollegiate athletic teams who represent the University of California, Santa Barbara. Referred to in athletic competition as ''UC Santa Barbara'' or ''UCSB'', the Gauchos participate in 19 NCAA Division I ...

during the 1999 season. She graduated in 2002 with a B.A. in English and global studies. She later attended

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is located in Pulitzer Hall on the university's Morningside Heights campus in New York City. Founded in 1912 by Joseph Pulitzer, Columbia Journalism School is one of the oldest journalism s ...

, graduating in 2005 with a master's degree.

Career

Career beginnings

After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, Lee worked from 2002 to 2004 at ''Marina Times'', a San Francisco community newspaper, as a freelance reporter on her spare time. Later, she enrolled at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, where she worked at

NY1 NY1 (also officially known as Spectrum News NY1 and spoken as New York One) is an American cable news television channel founded by Time Warner Cable, which itself is owned by Charter Communications through its acquisition in May 2016. The channe ...

and did freelance writing for

Forbes.com ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family (publishers), Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing ...

. She left NY1 and joined Forbes full-time. While at Forbes, Lee tried to orchestrate a permanent move in front of the camera. Using some on-camera work she compiled from her time at Forbes, she was hired by

Fox Business Network Fox Business (officially known as Fox Business Network, or FBN) is an American business news channel and website publication owned by the Fox News Media division of Fox Corporation. The channel broadcasts primarily from studios at 1211 Avenue ...

Fox Business Network

Lee was hired by FOX News Chairman & 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 ...

in 2007. With

Nicole Petallides Nicole Anais Petallides (born September 20, 1971) is an American journalist who works as an anchor for the online-only TD Ameritrade Network, which is owned and operated by Charles Schwab Corporation as a result of their acquisition of TD Amerit ...

, the duo were the original anchors of ''Fox Business Morning'' on Fox Business Network when the channel made its debut on October 15, 2007. FOX later added Lee as a contributor to ''Money for Breakfast'' and as an anchor to the web-only ''FoxBusiness.com Live Morning Edition'', which launched in February 2009. Upon the cancellation of ''Money for Breakfast'' in December 2009, Lee gained a role on ''

Imus in the Morning ''Imus in the Morning'' was a long-running radio show hosted by Don Imus. The show originated on June 2, 1968, on various stations in the Western United States and Cleveland, Ohio before settling on WNBC radio in New York City in 1971. In Octob ...

'', the show that took its time slot. The last airing of ''Fox Business Morning'' was in May 2010, after which it was replaced by ''Best of Imus'' as the lead-in to ''Imus in the Morning''.

Transition to Fox News Channel

Lee left Fox Business Network in July 2010 and joined Fox News Channel, where she replaced

Jane Skinner Jane Skinner (born February 12, 1967) is an American former daytime news anchor who worked for Fox News, co-hosting ''Happening Now'' with Jon Scott from 11 am to 1 pm ET. On June 24, 2010, she announced on-air her retirement from her daytime news ...

's co-anchor on ''

''. She was the first personality to go from Fox Business Network to Fox News Channel. On June 2, 2017, Lee announced on ''

'' that she was leaving Fox News immediately to pursue other projects and opportunities. In 2018, Lee launched the SmartHer News, which she described as an "fact based, nonpartisan" digital news platform.

In the media

Lee appeared in the October 2009 edition of ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

'' with an accompanying photo spread detailing her wardrobe strategy.

Personal life

On July 3, 2011, Lee married Lieutenant Commander Leif Babin, a former

Navy SEAL The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...

officer, in

Wimberley, Texas Wimberley is a village in Hays County, Texas, United States. It is still predominantly a ranching area outside of town. The population was 2,839 at the 2020 census. History Wimberley started as a trading post settlement near Cypress Creek in ...

. Babin, a recipient of a

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

, a

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

, and a

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...

for service in Anbar Province, Iraq, in 2006, is the son of

US Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Brian Babin Brian Philip Babin ( ; born March 23, 1948) is an American dentist, politician and member of the Republican Party who has served as the U.S. representative from since 2015. The district includes much of southeastern Houston, some of its eastern ...

. The couple met at the 2008 Navy SEAL Warrior Fund dinner held in New York City at the

Waldorf Astoria New York The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schultze ...

. She has stated that after meeting Babin she gained a better understanding of life for military families, and of the impact of war. Lee and Babin have three children, including Brian Marc Babin and Liberty Josephine Babin. Through social media she announced she now lives in Texas.

References

External links

Fox News biography
* * *
AskMen biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Jenna Living people Journalists from California Fox Business people Television anchors from San Francisco UC Santa Barbara Gauchos softball players Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alumni Fox News people American women television journalists Year of birth missing (living people)