Author, Mother, CEO: Get To Know Ryan Seacrest's Gorgeous Sister Meredith

There are famous people whose siblings remain firmly out of the spotlight, but Ryan Seacrest's sister Meredith Seacrest Leach is not one of them. Meredith is not a celeb sibling who happens to be carving out their own career as performer à la Frankie Grande, brother of Ariana Grande, but she has become a public face due to the nature of her work. Since 2010, Meredith has served as the executive director and CEO of her brother's nonprofit organization, The Seacrest Foundation. This role has brought with it a certain degree of media attention, although focus has always remained on the important work being done and not on Meredith herself.

Meredith took a slightly more visible step into the limelight when she co-authored a children's book, "The Make-Believers," with her brother. A huge media blitz accompanied the book's October 2024 release, and Meredith gave interviews with print outlets ranging from Publisher's Weekly to People magazine. Meredith also made appearances on many podcasts and, together with her brother, on television programs such as "Live With Kelly and Mark" and "Good Morning America." Even still, many people do not know much about Meredith beyond the basics. Here we take a deeper look at both her work and personal life, as well as her relationship with her very famous brother. Keep reading to learn more about Meredith Seacrest Leach — author, mother, CEO, and Ryan Seacrest's beloved little sister (and closest confidant).

While there are some celebrity siblings who can't stand each other, the Seacrest sibs are a totally different story. Meredith Seacrest Leach and Ryan Seacrest developed a sweet sibling bond early in childhood. The brother-sister pair got along as kids, spending much of their time building their imaginations together. "During our childhood we played make-believe — we were creating shows. He pretended to be Bon Jovi, and I was Madonna," Meredith told Publisher's Weekly in 2024. Funny enough, Ryan also pretended to be Casey Kasem, the iconic radio host who created and hosted "American Top 40" for decades before Ryan took over hosting duties in 2004.

Ryan was always protective of his younger sister, and he made it a point to include her in play even when others were around. The siblings trace their wonderful working relationship back to those early days together in Dunwoody, Georgia. "We always really loved playing together. He was my big brother who would include me when his friends would come over and let me join in. And when we'd make some of these productions and videos, I'd be the light girl with a desk lamp, flashing it with a music video," Meredith said in that same Publisher's Weekly article. "He was kind to always include me, and now we work together with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. We're just fortunate, I guess, that we love being collaborative and love working together and love being siblings."

Ryan Seacrest is six years older than his sister, so he was the first to head off to college. The "American Idol" host chose the nearby University of Georgia, where he enrolled as a journalism major. One year later, however, Ryan dropped out of school and moved to California with the hopes of making it big in Hollywood. "Even before I stepped on the campus here, 24 years ago, there was a voice inside telling me there was somewhere else that I should be," Ryan explained in a 2016 commencement speech, after which the University of Georgia awarded him an honorary doctorate. "I was almost 20 years old. I was scared to death. But at the same time, I was never more sure of anything in my life," he continued.

Years later, Meredith Seacrest Leach followed in her brother's footsteps by enrolling at the same university and in the same program. Unlike her older brother, Meredith stayed for the full four years and earned her bachelor's degree. She later made good use of her education from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, via jobs in a variety of areas including public relations, television production, and corporate communications.

The Ryan Seacrest Foundation is a nonprofit organization centered on bringing education and entertainment to pediatric hospital patients. The foundation builds broadcast media centers in hospitals, called Seacrest Studios, so sick kids can have an escape, learn about broadcasting, and be entertained in the process — either in-person in the studio or via a closed-circuit network from their hospital room, if they cannot make it to the studio.

Even before the foundation developed, Meredith Seacrest Leach was by her brother's side when he visited sick kids. Together they would frequent the Children's Hospital of Orange County, where Ryan hosted live broadcasts for his morning radio show, spent time with patients, and introduced them to his celebrity friends. "He got a lot of feedback from patients and their families about how they wish they had more of this and how it brightened their day," Meredith explained to A Drink With in 2018. This sparked the idea for Seacrest Studios, and the 2009 establishment of The Seacrest Foundation.

The siblings built their first media center in the Atlanta area, where they are from. It was during the build that Ryan asked his sister if she would leave her job to run the foundation. As Executive Director and CEO of The Seacrest Foundation, Meredith has overseen the development of 14 Seacrest Studios across the United States. "From helping build all the studios, creating the partnerships to hiring a team, I really try to wear every hat I have to," Meredith told A Drink With.

Before she started working with her brother full-time, Meredith Seacrest Leach was successfully making her own way in Hollywood. She began her career at CBS, where she worked as a manager of communications for three years after her 2003 college graduation. Specifically, she ran communications for "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider," so Meredith entertainment roots run deep. So yes, Ryan Seacrest is an A-list star who has a really successful sibling — she just happens to keep a lower profile.

In July 2006, Meredith started on as an account executive at Murphy O'Brien, a public relations firm where she managed luxury resort accounts. Less than two years later, she pivoted to television production, serving as Director of Creative Affairs at Reveille from early 2008 to September 2010. In this role, Meredith focused on unscripted television development and digital and branded entertainment. She aided in the creation of multiple reality television shows including "MasterChef," "Nashville Star," and "The Buried Life." Meredith is credited as a producer on six episodes of the latter.

The idea of living with one's adult sibling is a nightmare scenario for many, but the Seacrest siblings are not like most siblings. They enjoy spending time together so much that they work in tandem, and they had no issue cohabitating when they were young adults. Obviously, there is no need to share a home nowadays — Ryan Seacrest lives an extremely lavish life, with a reported net worth of $500 million — but everyone has to start somewhere. And so, when they were youngsters in Hollywood, the siblings lived together while Meredith Seacrest Leach sought to get her footing.

Ryan had been in California for years by the time his younger sister made the move. In fact, it was visiting her brother that encouraged Meredith to head West. "I was still living back in Atlanta and I was looking at internships and things to do in college, and then I'd visit him and really enjoyed it out there," Meredith explained in an interview with Lakeside Entertainment Group. "And then next thing you know I was moving to LA and Ryan and I were roommates."

Given that "American Idol" made its debut in 2002, a year before Meredith graduated college, it can be assumed that Ryan had pretty decent digs by the time his sister came calling. It is unclear how long they lived together, but it would not surprise us if the Seacrest siblings remained roommates longer than they financially had to.

Ryan Seacrest has never been married, but rumors about his love life have been in the tabloids over the years. And since he has only one sibling, the family went all out when they finally had a wedding to throw. Meredith Seacrest Leach wed Jimmy Leach, then an executive for the footwear brand TOMS, in 2016. Jimmy, currently an advisor and board member for Swiftwick, is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, but not much else is known about him despite his famous brother-in-law.

But back to the wedding, which was held in Mexico in front of only close friends and family. Ryan was heavily involved in the event — and not just because the groomsmen wore Ryan Seacrest Distinction collection suits and accessories. No, his bigger contribution was acting as his sister's man of honor. "You've been by my side all of my life, and I wouldn't want you anywhere else, when I become a wife," read a framed poem that Meredith gifted her big bro. "I'm so lucky to have you as my brother, and couldn't imagine celebrating with any other. ... Will you be my Man of Honor on my special day?!"

Ryan later shared a photo of the poem on Instagram, writing, "I have a role in my sisters wedding....just shed tear. Love u mere" as the caption. He also tweeted about how proud he was to be her MOH on the day of the wedding.

Meredith Seacrest Leach spent over a decade living in Los Angeles, but she now resides far closer to her home state of Georgia. It was in 2017 that Meredith and her husband made the move to Nashville, Tennessee, where The Ryan Seacrest Foundation is now headquartered. They had been spending a lot of time in Music City, where a Seacrest Studio was being built at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University. By the time the studio opened — with the help of celebrity guest Taylor Swift, who showed up at the March 2016 ribbon cutting ceremony — Ryan Seacrest's sister had fallen in love with Nashville. 

Meredith and her husband were already thinking about leaving Los Angeles when they became acquainted with Nashville, and the city had many pros for the young couple. "We talked about different areas to live and the people were so nice here. My parents are in Atlanta and his are in Arkansas so it was perfect. There is such a sense of community and we can get around without traffic. We fell in love with the city," Meredith told A Drink With. "From the entertainment side of things I was doing in L.A., it was an easy transfer to Nashville."

The media center in Nashville was the tenth Seacrest Studio, and there are now 14. Another Tennessee location — this one in Memphis — launched in 2023.

Meredith Seacrest Leach got pregnant a year after moving to Nashville with her husband Jimmy Leach. Their daughter, Flora Marie, was born in December 2018 — and two days later, Meredith called into "On Air With Ryan Seacrest," where her brother shared photos of the new bundle of joy. "It is the real deal giving birth," Meredith told her brother on the show. "I'm good, I'm good. I feel relieved we got through it and we did it and our little girl is here and she's happy and healthy." Meredith was no stranger to her brother's radio show at that point, as she also announced her pregnancy there six months earlier.

Ryan Seacrest was so involved in his sister's pregnancy that he even FaceTimed Seacrest Leach from the air — this time on "Live with Kelly and Ryan" — when she was in active labor. The enthusiasm he showed back then has certainly maintained in the years since Flora was born. The proud uncle often features the adorable Flora on his social media, both via family photos and photos of just the two of them. For instance, in December 2023, Ryan uploaded a photo of the duo cooking together in celebration of Flora's birthday on Instagram. "I have a sweatshirt that my niece made, and I'm called the Funcle," Ryan bragged to People in 2025. "I wear it proudly." Funcle is a portmanteau of "fun uncle," and it seems Ryan fits the bill. He and Flora love to watch Disney movies, drink Shirley Temples, and do gymnastics.

Meredith Seacrest Leach and Ryan Seacrest's co-authored children's book, "The Make-Believers," was a dream come true for Meredith, who has a lifelong love of reading and writing. "I discovered my love for creative writing back in grade school. I always enjoyed imagining stories and putting pen to paper. It's surreal to become a first-time author alongside my best friend and brother, Ryan," she told The Writing Cooperative in 2024.

Released in October 2024, the book aims to teach kids to use their imaginations and encourage transformation through play. "I think we started with just the big idea, and then we put some words together," Meredith explained in her 2024 Publisher's Weekly Q&A. "We're fortunate to have a great publisher, Simon & Schuster, that really is the expert in this as well, guiding us through all that, and a wonderful illustrator, Bonnie Lui, who was able to take the words and bring them to life with her beautiful illustrations."

The book was inspired by many things, including the kids the siblings met via their work in children's hospitals and Meredith's young daughter, herself a make-believer. Another huge source of inspiration was the siblings' own upbringing, where there was lots of imaginative play. "We would play make-believe as kids and, as you can imagine, Ryan was acting as a host of shows and pretending to be a star," Meredith said on "Live with Kelly and Mark" in 2024. "He was interviewing me ... he would make mixtapes for our beach trips, count down the hits."

Meredith Seacrest Leach had much to consider when her brother asked her to take over the reins of The Seacrest Foundation on a fulltime basis. Both she and her parents were already involved in the organization's work, but the commitment would require her to give up her career in television production in favor of an entirely new route. "I had to really think about it. Did I want to work with family, my brother? I had to figure out what we would be doing. I loved my job but to be able to work with my family, why would I not want to do work involving helping children? I decided to leave my job and build this foundation," Seacrest Leach said to A Drink With in 2018.

Though she may not have entirely known what she was getting into, Seacrest Leach has helped the foundation establish itself and, in the process, made a significant impact on the lives of sick children and their families. This has, in turn, offered the CEO great perspective and provided a meaningfulness not available from most jobs. "We have parents just say, 'You know, my child smiled today or laughed.' It feels like such a small thing but if that space we create can bring that joy or that moment for a family or create some sense of relief. That's when we feel while we're doing what we're supposed to be doing," Seacrest Leach said on the "Charity Matters" podcast in 2021.

As already established, one of Meredith Seacrest Leach's main considerations when deciding whether to take on leadership of The Ryan Seacrest Foundation was whether she wanted to work with her family. Clearly, she and brother Ryan Seacrest have established a wonderful professional relationship — as evidenced by the success of their foundation, their children's book, and the many media interviews they did to help support the launch of their book — but that smooth sailing requires active navigation of the ship. Both Seacrest parents were also actively involved in the foundation from the start, which made it a true family affair. After patriarch Gary Lee Seacrest died in 2025, mother Connie Seacrest remained on the foundation's 10-person board, of which Ryan Seacrest serves as chairman.

At the start, Meredith worked hard to establish clear boundaries between work and play, both with her brother and her parents. "This is especially true with Ryan," Meredith told A Drink With. "If we need to talk work we will specifically set aside time for that. When we get together on the weekends and are having pizza and having a good time, that is not the time to interject with work. We make sure to know the difference and not blur the lines. I don't want Ryan to think every time we hang out that I am going to ask him for 10 things. It is refreshing and helps us maintain balance, otherwise it would be too much."