Chris Hansen is, quite possibly, one of the most famous investigative journalists of our time.
He managed to make himself a household name, start and host an incredibly successful Dateline series, all while combating his own, personal trials.
Here are a few interesting facts about Chris Hansen that you probably didn’t know! Let us know at the end of the article which fact is your favorite!
1. Jimmy Hoffa inspired him to become a journalist.
Back in 1975, a former Teamsters Union boss, Jimmy Hoffa vanished from the parking lot near Chris’s childhood home.
Fascinated by the mystery, Chris decided then and there that he wanted to pursue a career in investigative journalism .
2. He began pursuing journalism while he was still in college.
Chris truly did not waste any time!
As soon as he started college, he got a jump-start on his career by reporting for a small, local station in Michigan.
3. He has broken major news over the course of his career.
With a resume like his, this shouldn’t come as a surprise!
But he has reported on several monumental happenings in his hay-day, such as the Columbine massacre, the Oklahoma City terrorist attack, and some events surrounding the Unabomber.
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4. He was arrested for issuing bad checks.
After purchasing and writing a cheque for $13,000 for promotional items, like hats, shirts, and mugs from a local company, the cheque bounced.
He wrote the store owner another cheque, and that bounced as well. Unfortunately, the authorities were forced to get involved, leading to Chris’ arrest .
Thankfully, he did not spend much time behind bars.
As he did not seem like an immediate threat to anyone, he was quickly “released without bond and a written promise to appear in court.”
A week later, Chris’s attorney revealed that he “made good” on his payment and cleared his name.
5. After 30 years of marriage, he and his wife divorced.
After news of his affair leaked, according to Chris’s wife, Mary Joan via Radar Online , their marriage had “broken down irretrievably.”
She filed for divorce shortly after, requesting alimony and “a fair division of property and debts.”
After NBC learned that he was having an affair, he was subsequently dropped from the network.
While it was never stated by the network, many assume that he was let go of by NBC because of his highly publicized affair, divorce, and all of the negative press that went along with it.
However, NBC issued a statement sending their warm regards to Chris and thanking him for his 20 years on the team.
6. He was evicted from his home.
They say bad luck comes in threes!
After losing his job with NBC, losing his wife, and his mistress, he was evicted from his home after he was allegedly $400 short on rent .
According to TMZ, “The former host of *To Catch a Predator* last paid rent in August 2018, but was $400 short, and stopped sending checks altogether after that.”
Evidently, Chris was going through a tough time, personally, professionally, and financially.
7. Not only was he the host of the show *To Catch a Predator*, but it was also his idea.
Chris really made a name for himself once he started hosting the hit Dateline series, To Catch a Predator .
But sure enough, the premise of the show was also Chris’s idea in the first place.
“It was my idea,” Chris revealed to *City Pulse*.
“I was on the phone talking to a friend of mine … about this online watchdog group … I was thinking, ‘Wow, if we could combine their ability to work as decoys in chat rooms and our ability to wire a house with hidden cameras and microphones, it could be pretty compelling,'”
8. While crediting himself with the idea of *To Catch a Predator*, he also praised the rest of the team who helped bring it to life.
“A lot of other smart people weighed in and figured out ways to improve the concept and we went out and shot the first one,” he told City Pulse .
9. He has his own YouTube channel.
Conveniently, just in time for the pandemic that trapped us all in our homes indefinitely, Chris has started up his own YouTube channel called, Have a Seat with Chris Hansen , that has acquired over 300,000 subscribers thus far!
10. He has dabbled in acting.
There’s no arguing that Chris’s claim to fame was journalism. But that didn’t stop him from trying on different hats!
He appeared on the iconic sitcom, 30 Rock , as well as The Simpsons , Black-Ish , and The Boys .
