What is Ainsley Earhardt of Fox News Really Like Through the Eyes of a Colleague?
I was a Senior News Producer at Fox News during some great times as the cable news network became the biggest voice on TV. Sure, there were right wing demagogues running the network and there was a newsroom filled with idiots and assholes (excuse my language but that’s the best word to use) but there were great people too.
Ainsley Earhardt was one of the best. She came to the network from a station in San Antonio, Texas, becoming the Overnight News Anchor. I too was working the late shift and we struck up a friendship. Ainsley who is now a huge star on Fox and Friends was never shy about discussing things important to her including her faith. She spoke of god, church and country. The South Carolina native was also extremely close to her family. She never swore, she never lost her temper and she always had a smile on her face, even at 3 in the morning. Ainsley also cared about the people she worked with. She remembered birthdays and anniversaries and always asked about my wife and son. She also knew that I was a huge rock and roll fan.
Appearing On The Record with Greta Van Susteren one evening back in 2008 was Motley Crew, the whole friggin band! Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars, Vince Neil and Tommy Lee. Since I didn’t work on Greta’s show, I had no idea they were to be interviewed until Ainsley came running up to me out of breath, grabbing at my arm. “Come with me! come on, you gotta see this!” She took off down the hallway and I followed in hot pursuit, not sure what the issue was.
We took the stairs rather than an elevator, Ainsley sprinting like an olympian, high heels and all. She then swung open the green room doors and we entered. That’s when it hit me, I was standing in a room with Motley Crue! As I stood there gawking, sure enough the band quickly took notice of Ainsley. I was at that moment just a fly on the wall but nevertheless it was the Crue chatting with one of the most beautiful women on TV and me! “Tommy, holy fucking shit!, I’m a huge fucking fan!!” I finally bellowed, way too loudly. Tommy still smiling at Ainsley, stood up and gave me a bro hug. “Thanks man, you work here?” “Yeah!” “far out man!” Chit chat followed, my head swimming, nodding like a fucking idiot but this was happening!
Ainsley and I then watched the live broadcast together. A bizarre question and answer session that is best remembered as the interview where Tommy Lee asked Greta live on air what color pantees she was wearing. The uptight Van Susteren who didn’t seem to understand who she was dealing with ended the segment quickly. There was stunned disbelief as the band filed past Ainsley and me, seemingly in no rush to go anywhere but clearly now in enemy territory. That’s when Tommy Lee turned to me and asked, “where can I smoke around here?” Ainsley, despite the fact that she never smoked a day in her life, this I am sure of, said “follow me!”, and we did. Around the corner, down the steps, around another bend to an emergency door that wasn’t alarmed until we were outside the Fox News building. Kind of hidden, on W48th street, the band looking like a bunch of high School kids sneaking a smoke, lit up, Tommy offering me a cigarette too. Despite not being a smoker, I smoked Tommy’s Cigarette!
After a few minutes their limo driver finally spotted us. As we walked to the car, Tommy turned to me again and asked “Is she married” Ainsley was, and I told him so. “To you brother?” “Nah, not me.” “You banging her?” “No, I’m afraid not,” I whispered, hoping Ainsley wasn’t hearing the conversation. “You’re just friends?” “Yeah, just friends.” “Well, that fucking blows!” With that, Tommy Lee smiled that million dollar smile and slapped my shoulder before bidding me and Ainsley who was surrounded by the rest of the band, laughing hysterically at everything she had to say, a good night. As the limo pulled away, I turned to Ainsley and said,”I had no clue you were a Motley Crue fan.” She smiled and admitted that she wasn’t, but she knew I was. That’s Ainsley Earhardt.
