The Glamorous Transformation Of Fox News' Tomi Lahren

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Tomi Lahren began her career just days before her 22nd birthday and in the decade since then, she's solidified her reputation as one of the most outspoken conservatives in the mediasphere. Interestingly, though, despite growing up in the spotlight, there's probably still plenty you don't know about Tomi Lahren. Like the fact that, while studying journalism in university, she was known for being politically correct and never allowing her own points of view to take over interviews.

A lot has changed about Lahren's broadcasting style since then. She no longer holds anything back, whether she's speaking on her love of the MAGA movement or slamming Gen Z for being overly lazy. However, she's not afraid of turning on her own party when she needs to, like the time she shot down the Trump administration's attempts to minimize Signalgate. "I'm honestly getting sick of the whatabout isms from my own side," she tweeted. "Admit the F up and move on."

In addition to her growing confidence and increasingly outspoken nature, Lahren has also undergone a physical transformation to match. Indeed, Lahren looks totally unrecognizable in pics from before her Fox fame. Here's a closer look at the glamorous transformation of Fox News' Tomi Lahren.

Born and raised in Rapid City, South Dakota, on August 11, 1992, Tomi Rae Augustus Lahren couldn't be prouder of her country roots. She grew up on 12 acres of land, surrounded by nature and a large menagerie of animals including horses, rabbits, and hamsters. Although there weren't many other kids to play with nearby, she enjoyed spending time outdoors and with her parents, with whom she's particularly close. 

Indeed, one of the aspects she enjoyed most about her upbringing was being an only child. "I believe it was that independence that allowed me to excel to where I am today," she told Spotlight on Business Magazine. "I wouldn't trade my childhood or upbringing for anything in the world." Another aspect she holds particularly dear to her heart is the opportunity to have learned from her parents, both of whom spent decades working on various ranches. "I didn't grow up with money or status, but my parents gave me something far more valuable: work ethic and grit," she explained.

When not at home, Lahren attended and graduated from Rapid City's Central High School, and to this day, she has nothing but fond memories of her hometown. "It's the best place to grow up," she once gushed to Buffalo Magazine.

Following her high school graduation, Tomi Lahren decided to move away from home to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). There, she majored in broadcast journalism and political science — two subjects she'd been passionate about since childhood. "I have always known this was going to be my career path," she told Spotlight on Business Magazine. "I have never wanted to do anything else." As she recalled, it was while watching the nightly news with her parents that she realized she would one day work in media. "[I] felt Middle America was largely ignored or lost in the shuffle," she mused, explaining that her dream was to give a voice to smaller communities like hers.

While at university, Lahren began dipping her toe in political journalism as the host and associate producer of "The Scramble," UNLV's political roundtable show. "'The Scramble' taught me how to put together a show, listen to opposing and diverse views, and take a back seat when needed," she told the outlet. Interestingly, according to The University News, Lahren was soft-spoken and always politically correct at the time. In other words, she was the opposite of what she's since become known for.

Lahren graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2014 and still looks back at her university years as some of her most fun. Taking to Instagram in 2020, she shared throwback photos of herself partying and quipped, "Flashback to college when Corona was just a marginal beer and dancing on the bar was acceptable behavior."

Tomi Lahren built her career around politics, but she'd never actually want to take part in it firsthand. It's a lesson she learned early on after interning with Kristi Noem in 2010 when the latter was starting out as a congresswoman. Speaking with Spotlight on Business Magazine, Lahren noted that her internship showed her just how shady politics can be and solidified the fact that she wanted nothing to do with a career on the inside of it. "That experience taught me I'd rather be on the outside, in the media, serving as a watchdog and a check on power," she mused. Even so, it would come in handy in the future. "That experience gave me a lot of context for what I do now," she told Buffalo Magazine.

Nowadays, Lahren is known for sharing her unfiltered thoughts on politics, as all the brutal shade she's thrown at Gavin Newsom proves. However, she doesn't only go after Democrats. In 2024, she turned on her former mentor after Noem's controversies went a step too far when she bragged about shooting and killing her own dog. "That makes sense to Jeffery friggin' Dahmer and Charles Manson, no one else," Lahren said on her show, "Tomi Lahren Is Fearless" (via OutKick). Noting that Noem's actions weren't representative of other South Dakotans, she fumed, "If your dog is not well-behaved and you are incapable of training him, give him to someone who can."

As Tomi Lahren's time in university was coming to a close, she did what so many students do each year: She tried to find a postgrad internship. Although she was rejected by the Blaze (the network that hired her just a few years later), she made quite the impression on One America News Network (OANN). After cold-calling and getting hung up on repeatedly, Lahren's persistent nature landed her an interview and screen test. Just 21 at the time and with no real world experience, she was nervous, but she powered through. "I have a mantra that I am going to walk into any room and own it," she told Spotlight on Business Magazine.

That bold approach worked and soon, the conservative outlet's CEO, Robert Herring, was offering her the chance to develop her own show. "My jaw dropped," Lahren told Rapid City Journal. "I was stunned." She hadn't even graduated college yet, but Herring saw her potential. In August 2014, she made her professional debut with "On Point With Tomi Lahren." Ultimately, the show ran for only a year but its impact on her career cannot be overstated. "My big opportunity at OANN changed my life forever," she admitted to Spotlight on Business Magazine.

While working for One America News Network (OANN), Tomi Lahren had the opportunity to refine her craft — "I learned a lot because I didn't have a lot of help," she told the Guardian — but also to define her voice. It was there that she dreamed up and perfected her now infamous "Final Thoughts" segment, a three-minute rant on everything from politics to pop culture, which would regularly garner millions of views online. In July 2015, she used said segment to talk about the Chattanooga, Tennessee, shootings that killed four Marines and one Navy sailor, and the clip helped her reach a new level of success. In her response, Lahren lambasted President Obama for not calling the killings an act of terrorism, and soon, she had gone viral. "I was the girl who eviscerated Obama," she recalled in her interview with the Guardian.

It was at that moment that honchos at the Blaze, which had initially rejected her internship application, really took notice. The following month, Lahren wrapped her show on OANN and moved networks to host a new nightly show called "Tomi" on the Blaze, which premiered in October 2015. It was her dream gig, and she was fully committed to her own success, even if it meant her love life would continue to be a disaster. As she proudly shared with the Guardian, "I don't have a family, I don't have a boyfriend. I am in Dallas for one reason only, and that is to do this show."

Tomi Lahren has always spoken her truth, even when it's been at odds with fellow conservatives. One of her most surprising confessions came in March 2017 when she appeared on "The View" and revealed she was pro-choice. "I am someone that's for limited government and so I can't sit here and be a hypocrite," she said on the show. "So stay out of my guns and you can stay out of my body as well." Lahren also admitted she's received plenty of criticism from fellow conservatives over her surprising stance and laughed, "It's equal hate from all sides for me."

What she couldn't have been expecting was that her employer would take the most offense. The following April, Lahren sued the Blaze and its CEO, Glenn Beck, for wrongful termination, claiming that her show was canceled following her appearance on "The View." Initially, the Blaze responded by saying that Lahren was still employed by the network, then it countersued, seeking a temporary restraining order and an injunction. Days later, the two parties settled, and Lahren officially left the Blaze but was allowed to keep her social channels. These included her impressive Facebook page with its 4.6 million followers.

After her falling out with the Blaze, Tomi Lahren wasted no time moving on to bigger and better things. In August 2017, she joined Fox News as a contributor, working on various programs while also continuing to record her famous fast-paced commentaries. In addition to 60-second clips for Fox News Audio, Lahren also hosted Fox Nation's "Final Thoughts" and "No Interruption with Tomi Lahren."

At the same time, she expanded her repertoire and wrote a book titled "Never Play Dead: How the Truth Makes You Unstoppable." Published in 2019, its goal was to help readers, especially women, learn how to speak their minds, just like she does. As its cover art suggested, Lahren wanted others to "[s]top thinking about who you might offend and pay attention to who you might inspire."

Jump to June 2022, and Lahren again landed the opportunity to host her own show, this time on the Fox-owned OutKick network. Titled "Tomi Lahren Is Fearless," the series stayed true to Lahren's roots by keeping her "Final Thoughts" segment intact but expanded its nightly format to include interviews on a wide range of topics from politics to sports.

Tomi Lahren ruffled more feathers than usual when, in 2017, she joined the debate on what rights should be afforded to Dreamers, or young undocumented immigrants who entered the United States as kids. "We could stop rewarding illegal behavior and put law abiding Americans first," Lahren suggested in a tweet, unleashing plenty of backlash, including a viral rebuke from genealogist Jennifer Mendelsohn. "Law-abiding citizens like her great-great-grandfather, indicted by a grand jury for forging naturalization papers?" Mendelsohn responded, according to the Washington Post, although she did note he was later acquitted.

A year later, Lahren was again voicing similar rhetoric, telling Fox News' "Watters World," "You don't just come into this country with low skills, low education, not understanding the language — we don't believe in importing poverty." Again, Mendelsohn had some interesting findings to share, noting how Lahren's own family tree was filled with immigrants. "Her 2nd great-grandmother had been here for 10 yrs. Spoke no English," Mendelsohn tweeted (via People). "Her great-grandfather's 1895 baptism from MN? Recorded in Norwegian." For her part, Lahren was unfazed and even mocked the so-called revelations. "Really what she did was prove that my family came here legally," Lahren told Fox News. "She failed miserably."

While a transition to politics may seem like a logical next step in Tomi Lahren's career, she actually has no plans to leave the media space. "I don't envision that for myself because the dirty business of politics isn't appealing to me," she told Spotlight on Business Magazine. However, she did make sure to not close the door entirely. "I wouldn't enter myself into that arena unless I truly felt my voice and leadership was absolutely necessary," she teased. When asked if she likes to plan her future or set five-year goals for herself, Lahren quipped, "When we make plans, God laughs." The only thing she was certain of was that she would always stay true to her firebrand personality. "There's not enough money or fame in the world that could sidetrack me away from my values and core beliefs," she proclaimed. "I won't bend for anyone or anything." Which might explain why she's been so unapologetic about her cringe Cameo side hustle, which has been dubbed a desperate attempt to stay relevant.

Indeed, that's a sentiment she's shared on countless occasions, like when she told the Guardian that too many of her fellow Conservatives were simply too worried about being disliked to voice their true opinions. "There are too many conservatives who are terrified of being labeled," she said. "I do not bulls***, I am genuine and authentic."