The Tragedy Of Fox News' Jessica Tarlov Gets Sadder & Sadder

It's hardly an untold truth that Jessica Tarlov is the only Democrat on Fox News. Au contraire, she's spoken about it in the past and even shared that, at times, it caused some trouble for her. Sadly, in some cases, she's found the criticism hard to shake off.  

Starting with the most obvious, some may remember that back in 2023, Trump shared a particularly nasty "review" on Truth Social, slating Jessica's presence on "The Five." He wrote, "I know the show is doing well, but no thanks to Jessica," explaining that it was necessary for him to share that thought because "fake" people deserved to be exposed. Unfortunately, that wasn't all, and in true Trump fashion, he also resorted to personal remarks. "Her jittery presentation is horrendous and, forgive me, her VOICE is grating and unendurable," he added. 

While some reporters would have ignored the nastiness (at least publicly), Jessica was refreshingly open about the impact it had on her personally. In a piece for Bustle, she wrote that his attack had been a shock to wake up to. She also shared that she'd already been a little uncomfortable about the sound of her voice, which made the jab hurt even more. Another thing Jessica admitted? Her first instinct was to fire back with the same level of nastiness. "It pulls you down into the mud," she wrote. Jessica ultimately decided to be the bigger person, blowing off steam in a SoulCycle sesh. Jessica also shouted out her "The Five" colleague Dana Perino, sharing that she'd told her one positive aspect of the situation was that whether he liked her or not, Trump certainly had noticed her. "I was doing a good enough job that he couldn't focus on the facts. He had to go after a superficial thing," Jessica wrote. She wasn't wrong!

Two years prior to Donald Trump's attack on her, Jessica Tarlov had another not-so-great moment — and though she laughed it off soon after, her facial expression at the moment made it clear she wasn't super happy about it. Of course, we're talking about the time Dana Perino awkwardly revealed her pregnancy live on air. 

ICYMI, Jessica and Perino were on "The Five" when George W. Bush's former press secretary made some super-subtle-actually-not-at-all comments. Asking her co-hosts whether they'd tried anything new during the pandemic, Perino turned to Jessica and quipped, "I mean, you've got something new coming!" Cue a very uncomfortable-looking Jessica, who responded, "Yeah ... and now, the audience knows." The two looked at each other awkwardly, with Jessica visibly shaken and revealing, "So, I'm pregnant." Luckily for both anchors, Jesse Watters eased the tension by bursting into laughter, and Jessica laughed it off by the end of the segment — though even then, she still looked a little awkward about the fact that her pregnancy had been revealed in such a big way, and not by her. 

Possibly as a result of seeing just how uncomfortable they looked in the clip, Perino took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to poke fun at the situation after the show wrapped. "I love this woman ... Let me be the one to accidentally spill the beans. But they are such good beans!!" she wrote, alongside a snap of the two of them together. Jessica's response also made light of everything, with the news personality responding, "Saved me a lot of fretting over a reveal. Love you!" All's well that ends well!

Heartbreakingly, while Jessica Tarlov was able to laugh off Dana Perino's misstep, things weren't all smooth sailing in the coming months. Conversely, her father passed away when she was just over halfway through her pregnancy. 

As noted by The Hour, Jessica's father, Hollywood producer Mark Tarlov, had cancer — and as if a cancer diagnosis wouldn't have been devastating enough, that had been a direct result of toxic chemicals emitted in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, as his apartment wasn't far from the Twin Towers. Understandably, the situation was incredibly hard on the Fox News personality. Speaking to Carry, she shared, "The grief combined with postpartum has created an emotional rollercoaster that's tough to handle at home, let alone at work." Sadly, she also told the outlet that if she could have any superpower, she'd pick time travel. "Would love to be able to take my daughter back to spend time with my dad," she said. 

One small consolation, no doubt, was the outpouring of love she received after she posted about her dad's death on X. In addition to many of her Fox colleagues reaching out to send their condolences, a number of well-wishers who knew Jessica's late father also shared stories of their experiences with him. "I worked for your dad when he was at Warner Bros ... He was such a special person and everyone who met him could not help but be taken by his intelligence and sense of humor," wrote one, prompting a response from Jessica, thanking her for sharing the memories. Another wrote that their family had known Mark's father, gushing, "If he grew up to be anything like his dad, we've all lost a great man." We're sending our love to the Fox star. 

Like we said, Jessica Tarlov has been open about struggling with the challenges she faced as a result of both her dad's passing and her postpartum experience. However, she's also shared that mom guilt has gotten to her from time to time. "I felt guilty that breastfeeding wasn't for me — I lasted six weeks and could maybe pump one bottle per day at best — and I went on a business trip for a week to South Korea when my daughter was just four months old," she told Carry. She added that both of those things led to some not-so-subtle judgment from others and said that being a public figure likely meant she got even more criticism than some others would get. "It feels like everyone has an opinion — and a criticism for how you've decided to raise your baby and manage your life," she said. 

Luckily, Tarlov also told Carry that she didn't let any of the critics stop her from doing what she wanted to do. For starters, she came to accept that by filling her own cup, she was doing more good than harm. The Fox News anchor also credited her relationship for helping her overcome at least some of the guilt. "It helps to have a supportive husband who never questioned my decisions and continues to encourage me to do what I need to do in order to stay healthy physically and mentally," she said. As for Fox News, she gave major props to their family-friendly policies. 

Even with all the tough things Tarlov has endured, it's pretty clear she always manages to come out smiling on the other side. Even so, here's hoping she doesn't have too many more sad moments to contend with. President Trump, we're talking to you.