Gretchen Elizabeth Carlson is an American Political TV commentator, former Miss America, and author. She has continued her association with the Miss America Pageant and often serves as the celebrity national spokesperson for March of Dimes.
Carlson used to work for CBS and Fox News Channel (FNC). Her Fox News contract expired on 23rd June 2016 and it was not renewed. She is currently in the news for having filed a lawsuit on July 6th against Roger Ailes, CEO of Fox News, for alleged sexual harassment.
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Early Life and Education
Gretchen was born in Anoka, Minnesota on 21st June 1966 to Lee and Karen Carlson into a Lutheran family. Her father ran a car dealership with her uncle.
Carlson attended Anoka High School. She learned the violin when growing up and soon became an accomplished classical violinist, winning many national competitions and awards. In 1988, she competed in and won the Miss Minnesota title. A year later she was crowned as Miss America.
Gretchen attended Stanford University and graduated with a sociology degree in 1990. She studied for some time at Oxford University in England when at Stanford.
Gretchen Carlson – Miss America Pictures
Career
Carlson began her career in TV journalism as a political reporter for WRIC-TV in Richmond, Virginia. She then worked as a reporter and anchor for WCPO-TV in Cincinnati; as an anchor for Cleveland’s WOIO-TV; and as a weekend anchor and reporter for KXAS-TV station in Dallas.
Gretchen joined CBS News in 2000 as a correspondent and began working on ‘The Early Show’ in 2002. Later, she became the co-anchor of the show ‘Saturday Early Show’ with Russ Mitchell and became quite popular.
Gretchen joined Fox News as a substitute weekend host for the show Fox & Friends. In September 2006, she became a co-host of weekday shows of Fox & Friends along with Brian Kilmeade and Steve Doocy. In 2013, Carlson left the show to work as a host for ‘The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson,’ the Fox News’s Daytime show. Her contract with Fox News expired in June 2016 and it was not renewed.
with Donald Trump
Gretchen Carlson – Husband and Children
- Carlson married Casey Close, a sports agent, in 1997. The couple have two children and the family lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Trivia
- She is of Swedish descent. She serves as a Miss America Organization Board member and is a Sunday school teacher.
- She has authored a memoir called ‘Getting Real.’ It is an inspiring and humorous recollection of her personal journey from being crowned Miss America to becoming an anchor at Fox News.
- The July 6 lawsuit by Carlson against Roger Ailes alleges that she got fired from Fox News due to her resistance to his physical advances. The lawsuit claims that her resistance to advances by Ailes resulted in reduction Gretchen Carlson’s salary, curbing of her on-air appearances, and non-renewal of her contract. It also states that Ailes did not pay any attention to her complaint about discriminatory behavior meted out to her in the newsroom. She also claimed that Steve Doocy, her ‘Fox & Friends’ co-host engaged in bullying tactics like mocking her and pulling her arm during a live broadcast show.
Gretchen Carlson – Salary and Net worth
Gretchen used to earn $80,000 per year and her net worth is about $2.5 million.
