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Chris Hansen

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This article is about the TV journalist. For other people named Chris Hansen, see Chris Hansen (disambiguation).

Chris Hansen
Chris Hansen in 2019.jpg
Hansen in 2019
Born (1959-09-13) September 13, 1959 (age 61)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma materMichigan State University (BA)
OccupationTelevision personality
News reporter
YouTube personality
Years active1981–present
Known forTo Catch a Predator
Dateline NBC
Killer Instinct
Crime Watch Daily
Spouse(s)Mary Joan Hansen
Children2
YouTube information
Channels
Years active2019–present
Genre
Subscribers360,000
(July 2021)
Associated acts
YouTube Silver Play Button 2.svg 100,000 subscribers 2020[1]

Christopher Edward Hansen (born September 13, 1959)[2] is an American television journalist and YouTube personality. He is known for his work on Dateline NBC, in particular the former segment To Catch a Predator, which revolved around catching potential Internet sex predators using a sting operation. He also hosts Killer Instinct on Investigation Discovery, which documents homicide investigations.[3] In September 2016, he became the new host for the second season of the syndicated show Crime Watch Daily.[4]

Early life and education

Hansen was born in Chicago, Illinois on September 13, 1959[2] and grew up in West Bloomfield Township and Birmingham, Michigan. In an interview with City Pulse, Hansen said that he was first wanted to be a journalist when he was 14 years old, watching and following the police and FBI investigation of the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa.[5] He attended Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.[6] Hansen graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts in telecommunication in 1981.[7][5]

Career with NBC (1981–2013)

In 1981, Hansen became a reporter for NBC affiliate WILX in Lansing, Michigan during his senior year at Michigan State University.[7][5] He later reported for WFLA in Tampa, Florida, various newspapers and radio stations in Michigan and WXYZ in Detroit. In 1988, he was hired as an investigative reporter and anchor at WDIV in Detroit.[7] In May 1993, Hansen joined NBC News as a correspondent for the short-lived news magazine Now with Tom Brokaw and Katie Couric.[7]

Dateline NBC

Hansen's notable work for Dateline includes coverage of the Columbine High School massacre, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Unabomber and the TWA Flight 800 disaster, and investigative reports on Indian child slave labor and counterfeit prescription drug sales in China. Hansen was responsible for most of Dateline's coverage of the September 11 attacks, as well as stories on terrorist groups and the operations of Al-Qaeda. He also exposed how a group linked to Osama Bin Laden had attempted to buy missiles and nuclear weapons components, and he also worked on an exclusive report on the Air France Flight 8969 hijacking. His series on deficient airport security resulted in the Federal Aviation Administration investigating and ultimately revising its policies.[7]

To Catch a Predator

Main article: To Catch a Predator

In conjunction with the website Perverted-Justice, Hansen hosted a series of Dateline NBC reports under the title To Catch a Predator. Volunteers from Perverted-Justice impersonated minor children (usually 13–15 year old) in chat rooms online and agreed to meet with adults for sex.[8][9] The meeting places were "sting houses", where camera crews from NBC, and in later episodes local police, awaited potential sexual predators.[10]

Capitalizing on the success of Hansen and his Predator investigations, Dateline NBC created three Tuesday night spin-offs of its original concept; Hansen hosted To Catch a Con Man and To Catch an I.D. Thief.[7] In March 2007, Hansen's book, To Catch a Predator: Protecting Your Kids from Online Enemies Already in Your Home, was released in the American market.[11]

Dismissal

In August 2013, NBC decided not to renew its contract with Hansen, ultimately ending his tenure of 22 years.[12] This came two weeks after a photo surfaced of Hansen kissing his then-mistress Kristyn Caddell.[13]

Post-NBC projects

Killer Instinct

In 2015, Hansen hosted Killer Instinct, a show on Investigation Discovery chronicling homicide cases. The show's initial 10-episode season premiered on August 17, 2015.[14]

Hansen vs. Predator

In 2015, Hansen planned a new independent television show called Hansen vs. Predator, a spin-off of his original show To Catch a Predator. The program was intended to premiere online, crowdfunded via Kickstarter.[15] However, Hansen was unable to reach his $400,000 goal, only raising $89,000 by September 2016.[16] Hansen offered promotional memorabilia as part of the campaign that donors claimed to have never received, and he was arrested in January 2019 for paying for $13,000 worth of promotional items with a bad check.[17] After Hansen was unable to reach his Kickstarter goal, broadcast rights were sold, with Hansen vs. Predator becoming a recurring segment on Crime Watch Daily.[18]

Crime Watch Daily

On August 22, 2016, Hansen was introduced as the new host of the syndicated news program Crime Watch Daily beginning with its second-season premiere on September 12.[19] Hansen anchors the program from New York City, but it will maintain its Los Angeles-based newsroom. The second season also saw the premiere of Hansen vs. Predator, a revival of his previous To Catch a Predator series. Hansen's entry brought further ratings gains to the program, with household ratings increasing by 20% to 1.0, and a 23% gain among women 18–34. On January 4, 2017, Crime Watch Daily was renewed for a third season.[20][19] The show ended its run in June 2018.[21] Chris Hansen debuted the first episode of Hansen vs. Predator on September 12, 2016, on Crime Watch Daily.[4]

Have a Seat with Chris Hansen

On October 9, 2019, Hansen started a YouTube channel under the name Have a Seat with Chris Hansen, featuring weekly podcasts tackling different topics and interviews with special guests.[22] In 2019, this channel investigated claims of pedophilia and grooming against YouTube creator James Jackson, commonly known as Onision.[23] In January 2020, Hansen visited Jackson's home in an attempt to interview him. Jackson called the police on Hansen, though the police did not take action against him.[24] Jackson also filed a lawsuit against Hansen, which took place on January 24, 2020.[25][26] Jackson later requested to dismiss the charges, claiming that he was advised to consider an "alternative, more effective legal action".[27] This dismissal request was granted.[28][29]

Unseamly: The Investigation of Peter Nygard

Chris Hansen was named as an executive producer for Unseamly: The Investigation of Peter Nygard, an upcoming Discovery+ show which will examine Peter Nygard's life from his birth to his downfall and arrest.[30]

Personal life

Hansen is married to his wife Mary Joan and has two sons. It was reported that in June 2018, Mary Joan filed for divorce after nearly 30 years of marriage.[31] However, Mary Joan began making frequent appearances on Hansen's YouTube channel during May 2020, suggesting that the couple was still together.[32][33][34][35] The family resides in Stamford, Connecticut.[36] Hansen also maintained a New York City apartment; however, in January, 2019 it was reported that he was evicted after failing to pay rent for the apartment since the previous August.[7] His mother, Patricia Hansen, died on March 1, 2020.[37]

Legal issues

In January 2019, Hansen was charged with larceny after a check bounced with a vendor who delivered promotional items.[38] Hansen turned himself in to police in Connecticut on January 14, 2019, for allegedly bouncing checks for nearly $13,000 worth of promotional materials, according to Stamford Police.[39] The charges were later dropped.[40]

On February 28, 2020, Hansen was charged with harassment of a "civilian". He has not yet entered a plea and had a court date for March 24, 2020.[41]

In relation to a sting operation that occurred in October 2020, Hansen was supposed to appear and present evidence in a Shiawassee County Courtroom in Michigan in July 2021. Hansen did not show up for court. A warrant was issued for his arrest in July 2021. [42] Hansen later turned himself in, and stated that his failure to appear in court was because of a misunderstanding which was in the process of being resolved.[43]

Awards

Hansen has received eight Emmy Awards, four Edward R. Murrow Awards, three Clarion awards, the Overseas Press Club award, an IRE, the National Press Club award, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Award; as well as awards for excellence from the Associated Press and United Press International.[44]

Appearances

Hansen has appeared on such television programs as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Adam Carolla Show, Today, Scarborough Country, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Rise Guys Morning Show, The Don and Mike Show, The Opie and Anthony Radio Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Glenn Beck Program, and Diggnation.[citation needed]

On January 9, 2007, Hansen appeared on the BET news series American Gangster. The special, which was hosted by actor Ving Rhames, focused on Detroit drug lords, the Chambers Brothers gang. Hansen gave insight into the lives of the brothers based on the reporting he had done on them in the 1980s and 1990s as a reporter for ABC affiliate WXYZ (Channel 7) and NBC affiliate WDIV (Channel 4). In 2020, Hansen also made a brief cameo himself in episode 1 of the second season of Amazon original The Boys.[45]

References

  1. ^ Chris Hansen Social Blade, retrieved July 1, 2020
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Hansen, Chris (May 6, 2015). "An Interview with Chris Hansen". The Anthony Cumia Show (Interview). Interviewed by Anthony Cumia.
  3. ^ "MSU grad Chris Hansen returns with 'Killer Instinct'". Archived from the original on 2018-07-11. Retrieved 2019-05-19.MSU grad Chris Hansen returns with 'Killer Instinct' Archived 2015-09-20 at the Wayback Machine Detroit Free Press, August 17, 2015
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "'Take a seat' – Chris Hansen is back!". Crime Watch Daily. September 9, 2016. Archived from the original on September 12, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c McNamara, Neal (April 15, 2009). "News maker Chris Hansen". Lansing City Pulse. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  6. ^ Hansen, Chris (April 20, 2010). "America Now: City of Heartbreak and Hope". NBC News. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "Chris Hansen: Correspondent, "Dateline NBC"". NBC News. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  8. ^ Hansen, Chris (October 26, 2006). "They're still showing up". NBC News. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  9. ^ Hansen, Chris (October 4, 2011). "Prominent men caught in Petaluma sting". MSNBC. Archived from the original on August 20, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  10. ^ Salkin, Allen (December 13, 2006). "Web Site Hunts Pedophiles, and TV Goes Along". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  11. ^ Profile Archived 2016-01-12 at the Wayback Machine, hansenvpredator.com; accessed July 27, 2015.
  12. ^ "Report: NBC Will Not Renew Chris Hansen's Contract". yahoo.com. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  13. ^ Online, Radar. "'To Catch A Predator' Host Chris Hansen Let Go From NBC After Photos Emerge Of Him Kissing Former Mistress". Business Insider. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  14. ^ "Killer Instinct with Chris Hansen". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
  15. ^ Blistein, Jon (April 14, 2015). "Chris Hansen Wants You to Fund New 'To Catch a Predator'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  16. ^ Hansen, Chris (September 9, 2016). "Hansen vs. Predator". Kickstarter. Archived from the original on November 30, 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  17. ^ Dillon, Nancy. "'To Catch a Predator' star Chris Hansen's arrest draws out history of financial woes and complaints". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  18. ^ "The Return of 'To Catch a Predator'". The Marshall Project. 2017-01-23. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b "Chris Hansen Will Be Catching Predators On 'Crime Watch Daily'". Deadline.com. 22 August 2016. Archived from the original on 25 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  20. ^ "Exclusive: 'Crime Watch Daily' Renewed for Season 3". NextTV. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  21. ^ Albiniak, Paige (26 June 2018). "Syndication Ratings: Soccer, Golf Drives Down Shows". NextTV. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  22. ^ "Have A Seat With Chris Hansen". YouTube. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  23. ^ EST, Steven Asarch On 11/27/19 at 10:33 AM (2019-11-27). "Onision has been banned from Patreon and has been posting strange videos". Newsweek. Retrieved 2019-11-28.
  24. ^ Dodgson, Lindsay. "A creator who has become YouTube's supervillain called 911 when reporter Chris Hansen knocked on his door to ask him about accusations of grooming underage fans". Insider. Retrieved 2020-01-17.
  25. ^ "Washington Courts - Search Case Records". dw.courts.wa.gov. Retrieved 2020-01-17.
  26. ^ EST, Steven Asarch On 1/16/20 at 2:04 PM (2020-01-16). "Chris Hansen and Repzion have been sued in civil court by Onision". Newsweek. Retrieved 2020-01-17.
  27. ^ Repzion [@DDsulzbach] (January 24, 2020). He dismissed his own case against me. I guess he's going to sue me in civil court at some point is my guess for attempted "slander" and "damages"...(Tweet) Archived from the original on January 26, 2020 - via Twitter.
  28. ^ Harris, Margot (2020-01-27). "One of YouTube's most controversial personalities dropped his lawsuit against 'To Catch a Predator' host after the wrong person was served papers". Insider. Retrieved 2020-02-03. ...Jackson ['Onision']... asked for a dismissal of his petitions for orders of protection against... Chris Hansen and YouTuber Daniel Sulzbach ['Repzion']
  29. ^ Mike Morse Law Firm [@855mikewins] (January 25, 2020). "Here's the official response from the "wrong" Chris Hansen. Good guy who wrote an appropriate response to the court."(Tweet) Archived from the original on January 26, 2020 - via Twitter.
  30. ^ "Discovery+ Series to Investigate Fashion Mogul Peter Nygard's Rise to Power Through His Dec. 15 Arrest (Exclusive) | Hollywood Reporter". www.hollywoodreporter.com. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  31. ^ Hohman, Maura. "To Catch a Predator's Chris Hansen's Wife Filed for Divorce — and He's Being Evicted". People. People. Archived from the original on 20 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  32. ^ "Have A Blessed Sunday - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  33. ^ "How Are You Doing This Weekend? - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  34. ^ "Have A Replenishing Weekend! - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  35. ^ "Have A Very Happy Mothers Day Weekend! - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  36. ^ "Chris Hansen's House in Stamford, CT (Google Maps)". Virtual Globetrotting. 2008-04-18. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  37. ^ Chris Hansen [@chrishansen] (2020-03-01). "It is with a mixture of sadness and a lifetime of joy and love that we announce the passing of Patricia Hansen. The very definition of what a mother should be."" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  38. ^ Fearnow, Benjamin (16 January 2019). "Chris Hansen Arrested: 'To Catch A Predator' Host Charged With Writing Bad Checks". Newsweek. Newsweek. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  39. ^ "Chris Hansen, former "To Catch a Predator" TV host, arrested over bad checks, police say". Archived from the original on 2019-05-02. Retrieved 2019-05-19.
  40. ^ "'To Catch a Predator' host Chris Hansen has bounced check charge dropped". 2019-01-24. Archived from the original on 2019-04-28. Retrieved 2019-05-19.
  41. ^ Guglielmi, Jodi (March 6, 2020). "To Catch a Predator's Chris Hansen Charged with Harassment". People. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  42. ^ Garger, Kenneth (2021-07-02). "'To Catch a Predator' host Chris Hansen wanted in Michigan for skipping court". New York Post. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
  43. ^ Smith, Olivia (July 15, 2021). "What happened to Chris Hansen of 'To Catch a Predator'?". Tuko. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  44. ^ "Chris Hansen: Correspondent, "Dateline NBC"". NBC News. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
  45. ^ "Chris Hansen". IMDb. Retrieved 2021-01-13.

Further reading

External links

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