The Untold Truth Of Jessica Tarlov

It could be argued that Jessica Tarlov has one of the most challenging jobs in television. Not only does the proud Democrat regularly have to spend a considerable amount of time in the same studio as Greg Gutfeld, but she also has to single-handedly battle several other Republicans on camera at the same time. The New Yorker has made a name for herself as one of the few liberal voices on America's most conservative channel, Fox News.

Tarlov has appeared on the likes of "Hannity," "Your World with Neil Cavuto," and most recently "The Five," where she and Harold Ford Jr. take turns offering the lone Democratic perspective. But what else do we know about the London School of Economics and political science graduate who appears to be something of a glutton for punishment? From showbiz fathers and pandemic relationships to fashion choices and political ambitions, there's a lot even Tarlov's biggest fans might not know about her.

Jessica Tarlov's father, Mark, had quite the resume. He began his career writing speeches for Chief Justice Warren Burger while still at Columbia Law School. After graduating, he served as a Washington D.C. prosecutor and U.S. Department of Justice lawyer. In his later years, Mark pivoted to the wine industry, founding his own company, Evening Land Vineyards. But he's best known for his 20-year behind-the-scenes stint in Hollywood.

In 1979, Mark was appointed to Warner Bros.'s Business Affairs department, and within four years, he'd executive produced his first picture, the Stephen King adaptation "Christine." The multi-talent went on to produce the likes of Sidney Lumet's "Power," the black comedy "Serial Mom," and Sigourney Weaver's thriller "Copycat" before taking the director's chair himself.

Firstly, Mark helmed "Simply Irresistible," the 1999 rom-com in which Sarah Michelle Gellar played a restaurant owner. Then, five years later, he followed it up with "Temptation," a musical starring Zoe Saldana. Unfortunately, apart from a one-off showing at the New York Musical Festival, the latter has never been screened for the public. Mark died of cancer in 2021 at the age of 69.

You might wonder why on earth Jessica Tarlov took a co-hosting job on Fox News's "The Five." After all, the proud Democrat is outnumbered by Republicans four to one on a station that was at the center of a defamation lawsuit for appearing to back up Donald Trump's bogus claims about voter fraud. Well, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Tarlov expressed how she feels a duty to the show's viewers to present the other side of the argument: "They're not spending their time finding it elsewhere," Tarlov said. "It's hard to tell people things they don't want to hear. It is my job and figuring out a way to do it that will be listened to, palatable and maybe even persuasive. It's four-on-one, but showing up matters."

Tarlov, whose own friends and family have expressed bewilderment over her choice of workplace, insists that she enjoys being the lone outsider, too: "The point of the show is that it mimics real life," she explained. "I find it funny. As long as I can ensure that I am not actually thrown off and don't get to finish my point, I like the back-and-forth."

While the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown reportedly caused a record number of couples to go their separate ways, Jessica Tarlov experienced the complete opposite during this trying time: she found her soulmate. And she didn't have to look too far, either. Yes, during COVID-19, the Fox News regular began dating Brian McKenna, a hedge fund executive she'd only previously known as her next-door neighbor. 

The pair soon got engaged, a life-changing event that Tarlov discovered was becoming a pattern at the time. "When we went to look at engagement rings, the jeweler told me they've never been so busy with people who have just met," she later told the Los Angeles Times. Within a year, the couple walked down the aisle at a relatively small ceremony in front of their nearest and dearest. By this point, Tarlov was already pregnant with their first child, Cleo, and in 2024, she told her "The Five" colleagues live on air that another baby was on the way.

Jessica Tarlov certainly has the right credentials to run for office in the future. She graduated from the London School of Economics with a doctorate in government, having previously achieved master's degrees in public policy and political science. She also worked as analyst Douglas Schoen's research assistant and strategist and helped Boris Johnson get reelected as London Mayor. In fact, compared to many of the politicians she comments on as a Fox News regular, you could argue that she's overqualified.

So it's little surprise to learn that the New Yorker has political ambitions far beyond the studio of "The Five." Indeed, in a chat with USA Today, Tarlov explained that although she was happy focusing on her TV work and duties as senior vice president of Bustle Digital Group for now, she hasn't left her roots behind: "I think about running for office someday and I know I'll always keep my foot in the political door."

It was more of a surprise, however, that Tarlov managed to pay a compliment, of sorts, to her biggest nemesis: "Perhaps the one good thing President Trump has done is open the door to non-politician politicians. I could see myself taking advantage of that and hope a lot more young Democrats will, too."

In 2021, Jessica Tarlov became a first-time mother when she and hedge fund executive husband Brian McKenna welcomed daughter Cleo into the world. Just a month later, she was appointed to the panel of Fox News's flagship talk show, "The Five." And in an interview with Carry, the political pundit revealed she felt judged for returning to the workplace.

"From whether you breastfed and for how long, to whether you have a nanny or go to daycare, to when you leave your baby overnight for the first time and how many 'date nights' you have with your partner, it feels like everyone has an opinion — and a criticism for how you've decided to raise your baby and manage your life," Tarlov shared. "And because I'm in the public eye and have shared so much of my personal life on air, people feel like they know me and can just let it rip with their views."

As a result, Tarlov often suffered from the dreaded mom guilt, particularly when she ventured to South Korea on a work assignment four months after giving birth. Luckily, she soon found a way to stave off these thoughts: "Leaning into the concept that if you're not in a good place then you aren't of much use to your baby was difficult, but left me much happier in the end."

She might not get much of a chance to talk about sports while discussing the day's hot-button issues as a political pundit on America's most conservative news station. However, Jessica Tarlov likes nothing better in her rare moments of downtime than to watch the cream of the basketball world shooting hoops. When asked by Carry which person she wished she could have switched careers with, the Bryn Mawr College graduate gave a somewhat unexpected answer: Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell. "I'm an NBA fanatic and his passing was very impactful," Tarlov said. "To be such a great champion and a trailblazing civil rights icon is such a special, and important, combination. And Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the same reasons."

Tarlov may have been an admirer of Russell and Abudl-Jabbar's dribbling. But when it comes to getting worked up over athletes, the New Yorker prefers one particular Spanish tennis player. In a chat with Fox News, she revealed that her all-time celebrity crush was 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal.

"My response is always the same: I feel more fierce when I look fierce — and when I feel more fierce, I get better results." That's how Jessica Tarlov defiantly clapped back at those critics who argue that her keen fashion sense takes the attention away from her political commentary. She also explained how exactly her self-care approach positively affects her work: "My arguments are clearer. My energy is higher. My political values are shinier. Frankly, I make more of a difference."

Speaking to Bustle, the digital group she serves as senior vice president for, the New Yorker revealed that she was tired of hearing how fake eyelashes and heels are a barrier to authority. She further noted how Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is never criticized for conducting his business in a hoodie: "Nobody ever judges men on how they dress, so why on earth should anyone take me less seriously?"

Jessica Tarlov is now a regular face on our screens thanks to the likes of Fox News shows "Outnumbered," "Your World with Neil Cavuto," and "The Five." But although she was raised in a showbiz family — her father, Mark Tarlov, was a Hollywood producer and director, while her mother, Judy, is a writer — the political pundit never had any ambitions of becoming a TV star. In a 2017 interview with Washingtonian, Jessica explained that her younger sister had always been far more interested in pursuing a career in showbiz.

Molly Tarlov is now an actor best known for playing Sadie Saxton in MTV's long-running dramedy "Awkward." She has also appeared on the big screen in the teen comedy "G.B.F," supernatural horror "Haunting on Fraternity Row," and her father's directorial debut "Simply Irresistible." Jessica is now proud to have joined her sister in the on-screen ranks and that she's beamed into the nation's homes on a weekly basis, most notably Donald Trump's, who was U.S. president at the time: "It feels really special and such a unique opportunity. Because when President Obama was president, he wasn't ever watching Fox News."

Jessica Tarlov might be renowned for opposing conservatives as a political pundit on Fox News. But during her stint living in the UK, she actively helped a conservative rise to the most powerful seat in the country! Yes, after finishing her Ph.D. at the London School of Economics, Tarlov worked on future prime minister Boris Johnson's 2012 campaign to be reelected as the capital city's mayor. In a piece she wrote for The Hill, the New Yorker explained what initially attracted her to such a role: "In those days, Boris Johnson was known for his love of cycling and dedication to greener transportation policies, his tough-on-crime approach, pledge to build more affordable housing, and fanaticism for making the London Olympics a triumph."

However, by the time Johnson was essentially forced to resign as the head of the government in 2022, Tarlov realized that her early adulation had been misplaced. Referring to the European Union withdrawal her former boss had helped to instigate, she said, "Brexit also was the most glaring example of how a politician who may have been regularly admonished for his behavior, but ultimately — and on occasion, inexplicably— is loved for his candor, quirkiness and brashness, can fall from greatness. The big Brexit sell, coupled with mismanagement, lies and sidestepping of other issues, all added up to a huge betrayal."

Jessica Tarlov's career has taken her to some unexpected places, from Boris Johnson's mayoral reelection campaign to the resort of Yalta shortly before the Russian Federation's annexation of Crimea to the cutthroat world of Fox News. She has her mom, Judy, and father, Mark, to thank for all this unpredictability. When asked about her life mentors by USA Today, Jessica had no hesitation in naming the pair who brought her into the world: "I'd say my parents. They're brilliant, bold thinkers that always pushed me to experiment academically and professionally. Having support to take a zigzag path to get where you're going — and to be cool with not knowing where you're going at all — has made each phase of my career that much better."

Dad Mark certainly took the zigzag approach himself, flitting between the worlds of law, Hollywood, and winemaking with aplomb. But his work ethic isn't the only thing Jessica has taken inspiration from, with the strategist describing his marriage to her mom as "#RelationshipGoals." The couple's life together only came to an end in 2021 when Mark died from cancer.

You might expect that a liberal commentator who works on Fox News would be used to getting flak from the other end of the political spectrum. But then again, receiving scathing criticism from the reigning President of the United States is something else. And that's exactly what Jessica Tarlov had to deal with when Donald Trump delivered a pointed review of her performance on "The Five."

In an interview with Bustle, Tarlov admitted she was left blindsided by the 45th's harsh remarks: "According to Trump, the show is great except for me — I'm terrible, I'm always wrong, and my voice is 'unendurable.' I think that was the term he used. It was really hurtful. He said I had a jittery presentation, which is something I'm quite self-conscious about. That's what I woke up to on a Friday morning."

But thanks to support from her mom, best friend, and fellow "The Five" co-host Dana Perino, Tarlov was able to turn Trump's smackdown into a positive: "I tried to get to a place where I could see [Trump's criticism] as a compliment. 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]."