Are Gretchen Carlson and Tucker Carlson Related? Here's What You Should Know

Born on June 21, 1966, in Anoka, Minn., Gretchen Carlson achieved the kind of success most people could only dream of — before turning 30. A mightily talented violinist, she reportedly competed against world-class musicians like Joshua Bell before landing a spot on the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies circa 1980. 

In 1989, she was crowned as Miss America — which, in turn, helped her launch a career as a broadcaster. But is Gretchen related to fellow TV show host Tucker Carlson?

Gretchen spent the majority of her childhood years in Anoka, Minn. Meanwhile, Tucker was born in San Francisco. Both public figures come from relatively well-to-do families — Gretchen's dad, Lee Carlson, used to own a car dealership, while Tucker's old man, Richard Warner Carlson, is a successful journalist and the former director of Voice of America. 

So no, they don't belong to the same immediate family. 

Gretchen is of Swedish descent. Reportedly, Tucker's great-grandparents are of Swiss-Italian origin. Both Gretchen and Tucker were likely raised up in a comfortable environment. As Gretchen revealed in a past episode of Fox & Friends, Michele Bachmann used to work as her babysitter. 

Tucker's mother, Lisa McNear Carlson, reportedly cut ties with the whole of the family when Tucker turned 6. Having studied at various institutions, he eventually finished his high school studies at St. George's School in Middletown, Rhode Island. It was during this time that he started wearing bow ties — and the habit stayed with him up until April 11, 2006. 

"I like bow ties, and I certainly spent a lot of time defending them. But, from now on, I'm going without," he said during the last segment of his eponymous MSNBC show, as per Insider. 

Tucker graduated from Trinity College, a private liberal arts college in Hartford, Conn. in 1991. He joined Fox News in 2009. Gretchen's journey was slightly more straightforward in some respects. 

After graduating from high school in 1984 — she was the valedictorian — she went on to pursue a degree in Organizational Behavior Studies at Stanford University. She joined Fox News in 2005, per LinkedIn.

Tucker earned the moniker, "the king of cable news," thanks to his talk show, Tucker Carlson Tonight. The show was the most-watched program in its category in the third week of March 2021, per Forbes. But Tucker has faced his fair share of controversy over the last couple of years especially for seemingly aligning his messages with those of the far right. 

Tucker's career at Fox seems far from over, though. Gretchen, on the other hand, left the network a few years ago, shortly after filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against then-CEO Roger Ailes on July 6, 2016. 

The lawsuit led several others, including Megyn Kelly and Andrea Tantaros, to speak up about their experiences. Roger resigned in July 2016. The case served as the source of inspiration behind The Loudest Voice and Bombshell. 

Gretchen married leading sports agent Casey Close on Oct. 4, 1997, at a secret ceremony. Tucker, meanwhile, married his high school sweetheart, Susan Andrews, in 1991. 

Jeanine Pirro made a slip-up in April 2020, accidentally calling Tucker "Gretchen," per HuffPost. The incident goes to show that nobody is safe from making minor mistakes.