Tragic Details About Fox News’ Jessica Tarlov

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While Jessica Tarlov may work for Fox News, she’s often the lone liberal voice among her conservative colleagues. As she told Katie Couric on a 2024 episode of Couric’s “Next Question” podcast, Tarlov is the “odd woman out” at the network. She acknowledged she may be the only democrat Fox viewers know in their life, and takes the responsibility of representing the democratic party seriously. “I think it’s so important to represent the values of this party that I care deeply about in a sane and approachable way,” she said.

Because she’s a moderate democratic voice on an increasingly far-right platform, Tarlov can find herself in hot water more so than her colleagues. She’s been a target of personal criticism by President Donald Trump and sued for $30 million by an anti-Biden witness. Coupled with personal loss, Tarlov has had a more tragic couple of years than viewers who watch her on “The Five” might think.

Jessica Tarlov was affected by personal criticism from Donald Trump

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President Donald Trump revels in attacking journalists, like CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, and Jessica Tarlov is no different – even if she’s an anchor for Trump’s favorite station, Fox News. In January 2023, Trump took to his far-right Twitter clone Truth Social to criticize and personally attack Tarlov, calling her “wacky” and “absolutely terrible.”

“Her facts are knowingly wrong, her jittery presentation is horrendous and, forgive me, her VOICE is grating and unendurable,” he wrote. Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr. alternate being the lone democratic voice on the conservative “The Five” talk show, so it makes sense that Trump would target her specifically. “I find her impossible to take in large doses, & put out this ‘REVIEW’ because it is important to expose Fake News, & Fake People!” the president wrote.

A couple of months later Tarlov explained to Bustle how Trump’s personal attacks affected her. “It was really hurtful,” she wrote, explaining that she was already self-conscious about her presentation style, which Trump singled out. She received support from those close to her, and even some Trump supporters who were critical of the president’s remarks. After her cohost Dana Perino suggested Tarlov turn the moment into a source of strength, she viewed the situation through a new light. “Someone with so much power was paying attention to what I was doing, and I was doing a good enough job that he couldn’t focus on the facts. He had to go after a superficial thing [like my voice].”

Jessica Tarlov was sued for comments she made on air

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In March 2024, Jessica Tarlov erroneously made comments on air alleging that a Donald Trump Super PAC  paid the legal fees for Tony Bobulinski, a former Biden family business partner. Bobulinski had been testifying about his knowledge of the Biden family’s international dealings during the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. He began speaking out against them in the lead-up to the 2020 election and accused Joe Biden of lying about his involvement in his son’s business deals.

For her part, Tarlov clarified her comments the next day, saying, “What was actually said during the hearing was that the law firm representing Mr. Bobulinski was paid by a Trump PAC. I have seen no indication those payments were made in connection with Mr. Bobulinski’s legal fees, and he denies that they were” (via The Hill). Fox News stood behind Tarlov, even after Bobulinski demanded she apologize and retract her statement. Eventually, he sought $30 million in damages in a defamation lawsuit against Tarlov. “Ms. Tarlov was aware at the time she made them that these false statements invoking President Trump would inflame a segment of the country against Mr. Bobulinski,” the suit alleged (via the Daily Beast).

Eight months later the lawsuit was thrown out and a judge ordered Bobulinski to pay for Tarlov’s legal fees. “Bobulinski also fails to adequately allege that Tarlov’s statements tended to injure him in his capacity as a businessman,” District Judge J. Paul Oetken wrote regarding the decision (via The Wrap). “Fox News is pleased with the court’s landmark decision,” Fox said in a statement. They noted it was the first case to order the plaintiff to pay the defendant’s attorney’s fee under New York’s updated anti-SLAPP statute, which is intended to protect journalists and the public from frivolous defamation lawsuits.

Jessica Tarlov’s father died in 2021

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Jessica Tarlov also unfortunately experienced great tragedy in her personal life when she lost her father in July 2021. Film producer and father of two Mark Tarlov was only 69 years old when he lost his died from cancer. His cancer was caused by being exposed to toxic chemicals released due to the September 11 terrorist attacks; Tarlov’s home in Tribeca was a short distance away from Ground Zero. “Passion and self belief were his real key gifts. Whatever he did, he brought passion and self-belief,” Mark’s wife Judith Roberts told The Hour in 2021.

Jessica was pregnant when her father died, so he never got to meet his grandchildren. “I lost my father when I was 20 weeks pregnant and the grief combined with postpartum has created an emotional rollercoaster that’s tough to handle at home, let alone at work,” Jessica told Carry. She spoke about how she found comfort during such a trying time in spending time with other mothers at her work. “He gave everything to his many careers, but he gave the absolute most to me, my sister, and our Mom who he loved so completely,” Jessica wrote on X after her father’s death.

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