Tragic Details About Fox News' Martha MacCallum

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Martha MacCallum has made a name for herself as one of the most recognizable Fox News hosts since she joined the network in 2004, but her journey to the top hasn't always been easy. As the case goes with many female journalists, she's had to claw her way through more obstacles than you can count.

Throughout her career, she's had the opportunity to interview bigwigs like Mitt Romney, John McCain, Chris Christie, and the list goes on. In 2016, she began her widely renowned program, "The First Hundred Days," to document Donald Trump's early months in office, leading to her interviewing him on his hundredth day as President. In 2020, she published her first book, "Unknown Valor: A Story of Family, Courage, and Sacrifice from Pearl Harbor to Iwo Jima," about World War 2, successfully marketing herself as a multi-faceted political journalist with a comprehensive knowledge of world history. Heck, even Dana Perino has been taking notes from MacCallum's book.

Still, MacCallum has had to fight tooth and nail to earn her status as a reporter, overcoming devastating events both behind the scenes and on camera. From the loss of both of her parents to the sexism she's faced in the workplace, the success of MacCallum's career has been built on her hardships.

Martha MacCallum is much more than just a "blonde Barbie doll," and she won't stand for anyone who says otherwise, despite all of the plastic surgery speculation. Back in November 2017, David Horsey published a bombshell piece for the Los Angeles Times, primarily coming for Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders but dismissing every female at Fox News in the process.

"Much like Roger Ailes when he was stocking the Fox News lineup with blond Barbie dolls in short, tight skirts, the president has generally exhibited a preference for sleek beauties with long legs and stiletto heels to represent his interests and act as his arm candy," he wrote in the article (before later removing it). MacCallum wasn't having it, so she took it upon herself to write her own response piece for Time Magazine, to which she demanded an apology from Horsey on behalf of all the women at Fox News. "We're experienced journalists and reporters, most of us have been at it a long time. Between us, we've worked at all the networks and most prominent newspapers and publications. We're proud that our 'lineup' is 'stocked' with some of the sharpest, brightest women in the business." MacCallum noted that while Horsey gave a public apology, he failed to address any of the women directly.

Though she is stunning with or without makeup, MacCallum doesn't want to be purely recognized for her looks. The Fox host went on to detail her history of objectification in the workplace due to her appearance. "Early in my career, I was subjected to harassment in the form of some unwelcome suggestive comments and overtures. It was ugly and if ever I felt like I was being perceived as a 'Barbie Doll,' it was then." With that being said, next, let's dive into MacCallum's early experiences as a budding reporter.

You'd think that Martha MacCallum spent her whole life in the interviewing chair, but there was a time when she was just starting and just as terrified of the world of politics as the rest of us are. Her career kicked off in 1986 when she graduated from St. Lawrence, soon finding herself as a fact checker for a financial magazine, then as a production assistant, eventually finding herself at CNBC in 1997 and then at Fox News in 2004. In those early days, she felt a lot of stress to prove herself. During an interview with Woman's World in July 2024, she was asked if she had any words of wisdom for her younger self. "I would tell my younger self not to sweat the small stuff, that everything eventually gets on the air. And if you work really hard, and conscientiously and you do your homework, things will be fine," she remarked after admitting that at times, the stress was unbearable.

MacCallum recounted that the pressure of broadcast journalism would lead to emotions boiling over, "I remember feeling the importance of an interview or feeling something we had to get on the air was so important that there were times you would just feel like crying. It felt so stressful." It's no secret that MacCallum has come a long way to become a master of her craft since those early days, but that's not to say her career path doesn't keep her on her toes.

Martha MacCallum was praised for her interview with former U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and his wife in September 2018, right on the tail of him getting accused of sexual harassment. It was his first time responding to the claims, and she was celebrated by those from both political parties for asking tough questions and maintaining professionalism in such a high-stakes scenario. However, with a countless number of discussions under her belt, not all of MacCallum's interviews have been as successful.

MacCallum's ego took a blow before she even got the chance to speak with Donald Trump when he phoned "Fox & Friends" following the first presidential debate in September 2024. Steve Doocy asked if he'd be open to a second debate, of which Fox had suggested McCallum and Brett Beir to moderate, to which he responded, "Well, I wouldn't want to have Martha and Bret... I wouldn't want Martha involved." Ouch, talk about insulting.

In another difficult career moment, in April 2025, MacCallum was interviewing Democratic senator Chris Coons on her show when tensions boiled over after she showed him an interview between Elon Musk and his fellow DOGE affiliates discussing governmental waste and fraud. The conversation grew rather heated rapidly, to the point where they were completely shouting over each other. The situation climaxed when Coons argued that he couldn't hear MacCallum as she was "yelling so much," to which she responded, "Because I can't get a word in edgewise. I'm trying to ask you a question — that's my job."

Martha MacCallum's mother, Elizabeth, passed away in April 2013 after 13 years of battling breast cancer, but her legacy lives on through her children. In May 2021, Martha sat down with Survivornet and detailed how, as a family, they persisted through their mother's sickness and how they've taken their health into their own hands.

"Having a doctor involved who [shows you] there are tools in the toolbox and there's a plan is very reassuring," she remarked, continuing, "The cancer didn't keep her down. It gave her an even more renewed glow to life and she embraced it." She went on to reveal that her grandmother also passed in 2013 from cancer, and her sister, Jane, was previously diagnosed with breast cancer at 39 years old. "Everyone deals with that diagnosis in their own way. Some people like to talk about it a lot. My sister had young children at home and she had a husband who was working a lot. She soldiered through." The author added that her sister received the diagnosis over twenty years ago and has since gone into remission.

Her family's history with the disease has only made Martha more diligent about her own well-being. She told the publication that she gets frequent checkups to stay informed of her own health. "I just feel fortunate that there's so much that we know now about breast cancer. I see so many people who recover and go on to live happy, active lives. I am encouraged by all of it."

Douglas Clark MacCallum, Martha MacCallum's father, passed away in his sleep in March 2025, aged 92. Martha broke the news with a touching Facebook post a week later, attaching several images of her late father. "He was a wonderful father and a great friend. To the very end he gave each of us his wisdom, charm and humor. Having entered his tenth decade he understood the world's dramatic changes, as well as its subtleties."

She went on to pay homage to his time as a Lieutenant in the Navy, and according to his obituary, he served during the Korean War, which he later recalled fondly. His time in the military didn't come before meeting the love of his life, Elizabeth, during his first semester at Brown University. "Our only consolation is that he is with her now, he missed her a lot," Martha closed the post.