Abby Huntsman
Abby Huntsman
Abby Huntsman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Abigail Haight Huntsman May 1, 1986 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Residence | New York City, United States |
| Other names | Abby Livingston |
| Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Television personality, Journalist, Co-Host on The View |
| Television | ABC |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Jeffrey Livingston (m. 2010) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Jon Huntsman Jr. Mary Kaye Huntsman |
| Relatives | Jon Huntsman Sr. (grandfather) |
Abigail Haight Huntsman (born May 1, 1986) is an American journalist and television personality who is currently a co-host of ABC's The View. Previously she was a general assignment reporter for Fox News Channel and co-host of Fox & Friends. Prior to working at Fox, she was a host on MSNBC and NBC News. She is a daughter of former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr., who also served as U.S. Ambassador to China under President Barack Obama and currently serves as U.S. Ambassador to Russia under President Donald Trump.
In August 2018, it was announced that Huntsman would join The View, as a co-host alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Meghan McCain, and Ana Navarro on the panel for season 22.[1]
Huntsman publicly left the Mormon Church over her support of equality for women and LGBT rights.[2]
Abby Huntsman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Abigail Haight Huntsman May 1, 1986 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Residence | New York City, United States |
| Other names | Abby Livingston |
| Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Television personality, Journalist, Co-Host on The View |
| Television | ABC |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Jeffrey Livingston (m. 2010) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Jon Huntsman Jr. Mary Kaye Huntsman |
| Relatives | Jon Huntsman Sr. (grandfather) |
Career
Hosts of The Cycle in 2013: Ari Melber, Krystal Ball, Touré and Abby Huntsman
At age 16, Huntsman worked a behind-the-scenes position at Good Morning America. By her own admission, she disliked it so much that she contemplated giving up on television "forever".[3] While attending the University of Pennsylvania, Huntsman interned for Diane Sawyer. Huntsman, having observed Sawyer's representation of herself and manner of presenting news, became so impressed with her that she would later say, "I always think of her as someone that I hope I can try to be like."[4]
In 2012, during and after her father's presidential campaign, Huntsman appeared as a political commentator for ABC News in Washington, D.C., and Good Morning America in New York City.[5] In October 2012, Huntsman was profiled in ABC News's "Five Questions",[6] a part of This Week with George Stephanopoulos. In August 2012, she was interviewed by Brian Williams on Rock Center about Mitt Romney's run for president and her own relationship with the Mormon faith.[7] Previously, she held a position at the international public relations firm Burson-Marsteller.[8]
In 2013, she was listed as number 26 on the Forbes 30 under 30 list of up and coming members of the media.[9]
In July 2013, Huntsman joined MSNBC's The Cycle, filling a vacancy created by the departure of S.E. Cupp. Huntsman was the second replacement host to join the show, after Ari Melber. She sought to bring conservative views to the program, also denying that her relation to the Huntsman family had anything to do with her acquiring the position since she, in her own words, "went through the same audition process as everybody else", against a field she recalled featuring hundreds of candidates.[10] In July 2015, The Cycle was cancelled.
In October 2015, Huntsman joined Fox News Channel as a general assignment reporter.[13] She covers the news of the day across the network's daytime and primetime programming.[14]
In August 2018, it was officially announced that Huntsman would be joining the long-running ABC talk show The View, as a co-host alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, and Meghan McCain on the panel for season 22.[15]
Jon Huntsman Jr.'s presidential campaign
Huntsman worked on her father's 2012 presidential campaign as a media advisor and surrogate.[16] On the campaign trail Abby, along with her sisters Liddy and Mary Anne, earned attention for their social media presence. The Huntsman daughters were profiled by The New Yorker,[17] GQ,[16] and BuzzFeed.[18]
Personal life
Huntsman was born in Pennsylvania.[19] She grew up in Utah but spent many years living in Asia, including Taiwan and Singapore.[20][21] She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008, with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). In 2010, she married her college boyfriend, Jeffrey Bruce Livingston.[22] Huntsman gave birth to a baby girl, Isabel, in November 2017.[23] She is no longer an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[2] In January 2019, she announced that she was pregnant with twins; she welcomed daughter Ruby Kate and son William Jeffrey on June 5, 2019.[24]
She, along with her co-host of The View Meghan McCain and Margaret Hoover, released an ad in early 2013 in support of gay marriage. "I think it's a generational issue, and I think over time you're going to see more and more Republicans support the freedom to marry. I'm happy and proud of that movement."[25]