Tragic Details About MSNBC's Ari Melber

The following includes references to drug use.

Between Emmy nominations and wins, getting to use his favorite rap songs' lyrics as part of his political commentary, and even hanging out with a bunch of interesting people, it's pretty clear Ari Melber has a blast making his show. However, the "The Beat" star has also experienced some not-so-great points over the years.

We'll start off with the MSNBC star's childhood. Though Melber hasn't exactly said he had a tough upbringing, he has hinted at his being the son of an immigrant making him feel othered at times. Speaking at an event in Rhode Island in 2019, he shared that his father had specifically wanted him and his brother to "grow up as Americans" (via Jewish Rhode Island). Even so, he added, "Any diaspora community makes you acutely aware that you are a minority." 

Of course, that's not to say there wasn't an upside to that. Quite the contrary, Melber went on to explain that if anything, it instilled a greater sense of empathy in him. "It also made me able to identify with other minorities," he shared. Talk about turning a potentially sad detail into a win.

Some may know that Ari Melber has also gone through a divorce — though they likely didn't hear it from him. We'd say he was one of many celebrities who only announced their divorce after it was finalized, but Melber didn't even say anything post-settlement. That said, his ex-wife, writer Drew Grant, has spoken about their relationship and subsequent split (though notably also in a very limited way). 

Grant's first commentary on her and Melber's marriage came in a 2018 episode of "On Good Authority." Speaking of the impact her ongoing use of amphetamines had on her, the writer explained that she was able to operate at a high level and even plan her and Melber's wedding without issue. However, she also shared that there were times the medication made her mistrustful of her then-partner. "The problem with Adderall psychosis, which is eventually what I was at, was there would be these minor, minor breaks from reality ... Something like going on a hiking retreat with my partner, and suddenly thinking that they were trying to kill me by taking me hiking. That kind of stuff," she shared. Two years later, in an Instagram post, she shared that the 2016 divorce had been Melber's choice, and that it had been a shock at the time. 

Like her ex-husband, Grant has kept further details about their marriage and subsequent divorce to a minimum, and we aren't expecting either of them to change that. In the time since their split, Grant has gone on to find love again, and Melber was briefly attached to Alexandra Daddario, who has since married Andrew Form. It's not clear if Melber is in a relationship at the time of this writing — and something tells us he prefers it that way. 

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

One particularly sad detail about Ari Melber doesn't have anything to do with Melber himself — but it certainly was made to look as though he was involved. The newsman found himself in the headlines in December 2024 after a concerned family told King 5 Seattle about someone posing as the MSNBC anchor scamming their 73-year-old mom out of $20,000. Speaking to the outlet, Joey and Meri Taylor shared that their mom had messaged a Facebook account that she believed belonged to Melber, and things soon turned chaotic. The impersonator asked Patricia Taylor to pay for his dog's vet bills, sent her an engagement ring, and even used AI to send voice notes as Melber when she stopped responding to him. Ultimately, Patricia Taylor set out to visit the impersonator, but was stopped by her family when they realized what was going on. 

Unfortunately, Patricia wasn't the only person to have been approached by a Melber impersonator. In response to a Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice warning, an anonymous commenter shared that they'd had a similar experience. "There is a celebrity impersonator pretending to be Ari Melber, from MSNBC ... they are very good with words ... I encountered this impersonator on the business app Sharpr," they wrote. 

Melber hasn't responded directly to the Taylors' story, but MSNBC issued a statement confirming that "The Beat" host wasn't behind the epic scam. Either way, it's a horrible situation for his name to have been attached to. As a reminder to Melber's fans, as exciting as it would be to get a text from the anchor, we're going to suggest ignoring any DMs. If there's anything we know about the journalist, it's that he's certainly not opening up about his personal life to strangers.