Jenna Lee | |
|---|---|
 Lee in 2007 | |
| Born | (1980-05-30)May 30, 1980 (age 44) |
| Education | |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, televisionnews presenter |
| Employer | Fox Entertainment Group |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Janice andBob Lee |
| Relatives | Zac Lee (brother) |
Jennifer Anne "Jenna"Lee (born(1980-05-30)May 30, 1980[1]) is an American journalist and former anchor onFox News, where she co-hostedHappening Now withJon Scott. Lee had previously co-anchoredFox Business' early-morning business news program,Fox Business Morning, withConnell McShane.[2]
Lee, aSan Francisco native, was born to Janice andBob Lee, a formerNational Football League quarterback.[3] Her brother,Zac Lee, was also a professional quarterback.[4][5] Lee's grandfather, Paul Kern Lee, was awar correspondent for theAssociated Press in San Francisco.[6]
Lee attended college at theUniversity of California, Santa Barbara, where she played collegiate softball for theUC Santa Barbara Gauchos during the 1999 season.[7] She graduated in 2002 with a B.A. in English and global studies.[8] She later attendedColumbia University Graduate School of Journalism, graduating in 2005 with a master's degree.[9]
After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, Lee worked from 2002 to 2004 atMarina Times, a San Francisco community newspaper, as a freelance reporter in her spare time.[8] Later, she enrolled atColumbia University, where she worked atNY1 and did freelance writing forForbes.com.[8] She left NY1 and joined Forbes full-time.[8]
While at Forbes, Lee tried to orchestrate a permanent move in front of the camera.[10] Using some on-camera work she compiled from her time at Forbes, she was hired byFox Business Network.[10]
Lee was hired by FOX News Chairman & CEORoger Ailes in 2007.[11] WithNicole Petallides, the duo were the original anchors ofFox Business Morning on Fox Business Network when the channel made its debut on October 15, 2007.[12][8]
FOX later added Lee as a contributor toMoney for Breakfast and as an anchor to the web-onlyFoxBusiness.com Live Morning Edition, which launched in February 2009.[8][10][13] Upon the cancellation ofMoney for Breakfast in December 2009, Lee gained a role onImus in the Morning, the show that took its time slot.[14]
The last airing ofFox Business Morning was in May 2010, after which it was replaced byBest of Imus as the lead-in toImus in the Morning.[15]
Lee left Fox Business Network in July 2010 and joined Fox News Channel, where she replacedJane Skinner asJon Scott's co-anchor onHappening Now.[16][17][11] She was the first personality to go from Fox Business Network to Fox News Channel.[16][11]
On June 2, 2017, Lee announced onHappening Now that she was leaving Fox News immediately to pursue other projects and opportunities.[18] In 2018, Lee launched the SmartHer News, which she described as a "fact based, nonpartisan" digital news platform.[19]
On July 3, 2011, Lee married Lieutenant Commander Leif Babin, a formerNavy SEAL officer, inWimberley, Texas.[20] Babin, a recipient of aSilver Star, aBronze Star, and aPurple Heart for service inAnbar Province, Iraq, in 2006, is the son ofUS CongressmanBrian Babin.[20] The couple met at the 2008 Navy SEAL Warrior Fund dinner held in New York City at theWaldorf Astoria New York.[20] She has stated that after meeting Babin she gained a better understanding of life for military families and the impact of war.[21][19]
Lee and Babin have three children.[19][22][23][24] Through social media she announced she now lives in Texas.[citation needed]
Lee appeared in the October 2009 edition ofCosmopolitan with an accompanying photo spread detailing her wardrobe strategy.[25][26][27]
