 |
Gretchen Carlson | |
|---|---|
 Carlson in 2017 | |
| Born | Gretchen Elizabeth Carlson June 21, 1966 |
| Alma mater | Stanford University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Organization | Lift Our Voices |
| Known for | Advocacy against retaliation for or suppression of sexual assault and harassment claims; Champion of the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (2022) |
| Notable credit(s) | The Saturday Early Show co-host (2002–2005) Fox and Friends co-host (2005–2013) |
| Television | CBS News (2000–2005) Fox News (2005–2016) |
| Title |
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| Movement | Me Too movement |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | gretchencarlson |
Gretchen Elizabeth Carlson (born June 21, 1966[2]) is an American broadcast journalist, writer, and television personality.
Carlson was born and raised in Minnesota. A talented youth violinist, Carlson competed in a number of music contests before becoming a beauty pageant contestant. After winning Miss Minnesota in 1988, Carlson became Miss America for 1989. She attended Stanford University and graduated in 1990.
Carlson became a television anchor, working for several local TV stations in Virginia, Ohio, and Texas before becoming a national correspondent and anchor on CBS. She hosted the Saturday edition of The Early Show on CBS News from 2002 to 2005. Carlson subsequently moved to Fox News's morning show Fox & Friends, 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, claiming sexual harassment.[3] Subsequently, dozens of other women also stepped forward to accuse Ailes of harassment,[4] and Ailes resigned under pressure. In September 2016 Carlson and 21st Century Fox settled the lawsuit reportedly for $20 million, and Carlson received a public apology.[5] Carlson was one of the first high-publicity cases of 2016's #MeToo movement.
In 2019 she co-founded Lift Our Voices to work towards a ban on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and forced arbitration clauses in employment agreements.[6][7] In February 2022, the U.S. Congress 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 clauses, including retroactively. On 3 March 2022 President Joe Biden signed the bill into law. On 7 December 2022 he also signed into law another bill backed by Carlson, the Speak Out Act (S.4524).
Carlson also served as chairwoman of the board of directors of the Miss America Organization from 2018 to 2019.[8] In 2017 Carlson was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People In The World.[9] She has written two books, her memoir Getting Real, and the New York Times bestseller Be Fierce: Stop Harassment and Take Your Power Back.
- ^ Stated on Finding Your Roots, April 20, 2021
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Roig-Franzia et al. (2016)was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Yu, Roger (July 6, 2016). "Gretchen Carlson files sexual harassment lawsuit against Fox's Roger Ailes". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 12, 2019. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
- ^ Stockman, Rachel (July 21, 2016). "More Than 20 Women Have Come Forward with Ailes Harassment Claims, Lawyers Say". Lawnewz with Dan Abrams. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
- ^ Koblin, Josh; Grynbaum, Michael M. (September 6, 2016). "Fox Settles With Gretchen Carlson Over Roger Ailes Sex Harassment Claims". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
- ^ "About". Lift Our Voices. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ "Gretchen Carlson Teams Up With Ex-Fox News Staff To Wage War On NDAs". HuffPost. December 10, 2019. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ Jennings, Rebecca (September 10, 2018). "Gretchen Carlson's Miss America 2.0 promised empowerment. It mostly delivered". Vox. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ Yu, Roger (2017). "The 100 Most Influential People: Gretchen Carlson". Time. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2019.