Things You Didn't Know About Nancy O'Dell
Nancy O'Dell is in a political hotbed, and her former Access Hollywood colleague Billy Bush and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump are the ones to blame. Now that she's suddenty at the center of the Bush/Trump"locker-room banter" scandal, here's all you need to know about the TV personality.
In audio released by The Washington Post in October 2016, Trump is heard on a hot mic discussing O'Dell's "hotness" with Bush and describing how he tried to bed her. "I moved on her, and I failed. I'll admit it," Trump says in the audio clip. "I did try and f**k her. She was married." The vile exchange goes on and on, with Trump saying, "She's now got the big phony tits and everything. She's totally changed her look."
So who is this woman who turned down the Donald?
She was disqualified from Dancing With the Stars
In 2009, a knee injury ended O'Dell's stint on Dancing With the Stars before the season premiere.
"I feel pretty good considering I just had surgery a few days ago!" she told People in March 2009. "When the surgeon saw the inside of my knee, it was worse than he expected. To quote him, the meniscus in my knee was 'shredded.' It looked like a snow globe."
Though she was disqualified from the reality show competition due to her injury, O'Dell has not ruled out being on future seasons of the hit series. "I'd like to come back because I have unfinished business to do!" she told People. "I also want to be on the show in honor of my mom, as it was her favorite show." O'Dell's mother passed away from ALS, and her daughter hoped to raise awareness through her appearance on the program.
She appeared in the Scream film franchise
O'Dell portrayed a news anchor in blockbuster horror flicks Scream 3 (2000) and Scream 4 (2011). Her parts were small, but the films earned big returns. Scream 3 grossed more than $34 million on its opening weekend, and Scream 4 raked in just shy of $19 million its debut weekend.
Trump tried to have her fired for being pregnant
TMZ reported in 2007 that O'Dell was slated to host that year's Miss America Pageant, but when Trump found out she was expecting, he allegedly attempted to kick her off the production. A source told TMZ that Trump "doesn't like the way pregnant women look." At the time, TMZ reported that Trump's camp had no comment, later reporting that NBC "overruled him."
O'Dell went on to write a pregnancy book titled "Full of Life: Mom-to-Mom Tips I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Pregnant." We wonder if there's a segment in there about how to deal with misogynistic media moguls.
She was married twice
Nancy and her first husband, Dr. Richard O'Dell, were married from 1995 to 2004. She later talked about the split and the way it affected her work with celebrities. "I can relate to [celebrities]. I went through a divorce, celebrities go through separations and divorces, too, so you sympathize with them," she told Pageantry. "When they say, 'I'm going to keep that part of my relationship private,' I can respect that. As a journalist, it's your job to ask all those personal questions of them, but you have to respect their right to privacy."
Nancy married her second husband, tech firm executive Keith Zubchevich, in June 2005. She told The Wendy Williams Show that she met Zubchevich while standing in line at the airport. The travelers reportedly made eye contact several times before speaking, and as they say, the rest is history. The couple wed at the Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, Calif. in June 2005, and according to InStyle, the guest list was simple and the ceremony was sweet. Nancy told her guests, "We wanted it to be intimate because we wanted to spend time with you all. We wanted to look out and see our families."
She's a mom of three
In a 2012 interview with She Knows, Nancy talked about her daughter, Ashby, and two stepsons. "My little girl is still a big flirt. She has two older brothers, my stepsons who are 13 and 17, and she falls in love with all of their friends who come over. It is so soooo funny to witness!" As for following in mommy's footsteps, Nancy said her daughter "certainly has the curiosity to be [a reporter.] I love seeing how much she loves learning! She asks such incredible questions...It is so much fun to see how she is figuring out life. But, of course, I want her to pursue the career of her choice."
As for acting, Nancy seemed to be wishy-washy on the idea. "I, for certain, wouldn't want her to be a child actress," she said. "I have had to report too many stories about it being such a difficult thing. As far as her choosing that as a path later on, I would probably describe to her the positives and the negatives that I have witnessed and then support her whatever she decides. That is most important!"
In 2013, O'Dell told Working Mother that she was grateful for her family. "I am most appreciative of the little moments these days. I have really learned to enjoy the simple things these past couple of years. I have my husband to thank for that. He is always telling me to live in the moment." She added, "We have also been doing family game night these days. My two boys, my daughter, my husband and I gather around a table and play all kinds of board games and card games. It is such a fun family bonding thing to do and we have great conversations in between turns."
She reportedly left Access Hollywood over Billy Bush
A source at the New York Daily News alleged Nancy's 2009 Access Hollywood departure was directly related to Bush's bad behavior. The insider said, "The atmosphere at Access Hollywood is like walking on a landmine because of Billy. He throws tantrums and tirades and oftentimes for no apparent reason. It was one of several things that had Nancy at her wit's end after 13 years."
"Nancy was still subjected to Billy's outbursts and blow-ups on set, just like everyone else was," the source said. "Billy would go so far as to curse out producers for not writing the copy in a way he liked it, and would really go off if they assigned him to read a story that he felt was beneath him."
A rep for Access Hollywood said Bush had nothing to do with her decision to part ways with the program. "Any rumors regarding on-set issues between Nancy O'Dell and Billy Bush are unfounded and completely false. We continue to support Nancy's decision and wish her all the best."
She's good friends with Oprah
Check out Nancy's Instagram account, and you'll find a lot of Oprah Winfrey. In a variety of snaps, Nancy says things like, "Can't wait to tell u what it is @oprah & I are celebrating here...Love her for bringing the positivity and the good!" and this: "It's always a great day when I get to spend it with Lady O!" Talk about friends in high places!
She's a yoga enthusiast
O'Dell is apparently super into yoga, posting plenty of videos and snaps of her varying poses on Instagram. Of course, her peaceful practice includes tropical spa settings and celebrity yogi pics. Judging by her flexibility, Nancy has been at this for a while. Namaste.
Her message to women around the world
After the Trump tape broke the internet, Nancy released a powerful statement to women and men around the world. "The conversation has got to change because everybody deserves respect, no matter the gender or setting. And as a mom, I have to add that our kids, especially our young girls, need to know that their hard work, their achievements, their intelligence, their heart are most important, and those things will not go unnoticed."
"I have been flooded with your messages from around the world, and I so appreciate all of your kind words," she said. "I have been reading as many as I can and they are completely renewing my faith that we all want a better and more inclusive society. So, once again, I thank you all for your support."
That statement came on the heels of a previously released message that said, "Politics aside, I'm saddened that these comments still exist in our society at all. When I heard the comments yesterday, it was disappointing to hear such objectification of women."
"The conversation needs to change," she said, "because no female, no person, should be the subject of such crass comments, whether or not cameras are rolling. Everyone deserves respect no matter the setting or gender. As a woman who has worked very hard to establish her career, and as a mom, I feel I must speak out with the hope that as a society we will always strive to be better."