Jesse Watters Biography

Jesse Watters (born July 9, 1978) is an American critic on the Fox News Channel. He frequently appeared on the former political talk show O'Reilly Factor and is known for his on-the-street interviews, featured in his segment of the show, "Watters' World".

Early life

Watters was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, growing up in the Germantown and later East Falls neighborhoods. He attended the William Penn Charter School through junior year, then moved with his family to Long Island in New York. In 2001, he graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.

Career

On June 11, 2014, Watters debuted on the Fox News show, Outnumbered. He occasionally appears as a guest co-host.

On November 20, 2015, Watters debuted his own monthly Fox News program, Watters' World. He is characterized as an "ambush journalist", Watters has said, "I try to make it enjoyable for the person I'm interviewing. We always come away from the interview all smiles, for the most part. And it's always fun to come back and look at the footage and say, 'Oh my gosh, what just happened?'"

Watters is also a guest on The Spin Stops Here Tour 2017 with Bill O'Reilly and Dennis Miller.

Controversy

In October 2016, Watters was criticized for a segment of "Watters' World" that was widely considered racist against Asian Americans. In New York City's Chinatown, Watters asked Chinese Americans if they knew karate, if he should bow before he greets them, or if their watches were stolen. Throughout the segment, the 1974 song "Kung Fu Fighting" plays in the background, and the interviews are interspersed with references to martial arts and clips of Watters getting a foot massage and playing with nunchucks. New York City mayor Bill de Blasio denounced Watters' segment as "vile, racist behavior" that "has no place in our city". Numerous other lawmakers and journalists, including Asian Americans Mazie Hirono and Judy Chu, also condemned Watters. The segment was also criticized by the Asian American Journalists Association, which issued a statement saying: "We should be far beyond tired, racist stereotypes and targeting an ethnic group for humiliation and objectification on the basis of their race."

On October 5, Watters tweeted what Varietys Will Thorne called a "non-apology" about the segment. In the two tweets, Watters stated: "My man-on-the-street interviews are meant to be taken as tongue-in-cheek and I regret if anyone found offense. ... As a political humorist, the Chinatown segment was intended to be a light piece, as all Watters World segments are."

Personal life

Watters is married to Noelle Inguagiato Watters. They have twin daughters, Ellie and Sophie, born in 2011.