• In the past year, Kimberly Guilfoyle, 51, has gone from a Fox News host to a regular fixture in first family appearances since she’s been dating Donald Trump Jr.
  • Before leading raucous rallies for the 2018 midterms and being considered for a White House role, Guilfoyle’s background includes serving as an assistant district attorney, legal correspondent, and first lady of San Francisco.
  • Here is an inside look at her rise from lawyer to TV star.
  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Kimberly Guilfoyle, 51, first made a national name for herself on Fox News. The former lawyer started appearing as a legal analyst in 2004, and was a full-time host on the network from 2006.

President Donald Trump is a fan, and considered her for the role as White House communications director. Before that, she was once first lady of San Francisco when her first husband was mayor. He’s now the governor of California.

Frequently appearing on the Manhattan social scene over the last decade, Guilfoyle started dating Donald Trump Jr. amid his public divorce from his wife, Vanessa Trump.

Here is an inside look at the rise of Guilfoyle, from lawyer to Republican booster.


Guilfoyle was born in San Francisco on March 9, 1969. Her father had a career in construction, and raised Guilfoyle and her brother as a single dad after her mom died of leukemia when she was 11.

Foto: Kimberly Guilfoyle at the "Lucky Shops" Benefit. Source: STRMXA

Sources: Mediaite, SF Gate, IMDB


Guilfoyle graduated Magna Cum Laude from UC Davis and received her law degree from the University of San Francisco. She interned for the San Francisco district attorney, and modeled for Macy's and Victoria's Secret while she was in law school.

Foto: Guilfoyle attends the New York premiere of "Sleuth" at the Paris Theater on Oct. 2, 2007 in New York. Source: Associated Press

Sources: SF Gate, New York Daily News


After graduating law school, Guilfoyle worked as a prosecutor in San Francisco before spending four years in Los Angeles as a deputy district attorney. She then returned home to San Francisco where she served as assistant district attorney for four years.

Foto: Guilfoyle attend the Cinema Society and Details Magazine hosted screening of "Gone Baby Gone" at the IFC Center on Oct. 16, 2007 in New York. Source: AGOEV

Source: SF Gate


In 2004, Guilfoyle moved to New York City to pursue a career on television. She hosted the program "Both Sides" on Court TV and served as a legal analyst for CNN.

Foto: Kimberly Guilfoyle arrives for the New York premiere of "Mr. Untouchable," Monday, Oct. 22, 2007. Source: Associated Press

Source: Fox News


Guilfoyle married Gavin Newsom in 2001. Two years later, he was elected mayor of San Francisco, and she became the city's first lady.

Foto: San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, right, takes the oath of office from his father Judge William Newsom, left, with wife Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom during his inauguration on Jan. 8, 2004 at City Hall in San Francisco. Source: AP

Source: SF Gate


But as their bi-coastal marriage became a strain and Guilfoyle focused on her television career, the couple filed for divorce in 2005. Newsom, a Democrat, served as lieutenant governor of California from 2011 until he was elected governor in 2018.

Foto: Former US President Bill Clinton speaks at a campaign rally for then-San Francisco mayoral candidate Gavin Newsom with Kimberly Guilfoyle-Newsom by his side on December 8, 2003. Source: Justin Sullivan / Staff

In 2006, Guilfoyle married Eric Villency in Barbados and later gave birth to a son. Villency, a former model, is CEO of an interior design firm in New York who sometimes appears as a guest on TV news programs like the "Today Show."

Foto: Guilfoyle and husband Eric Villency attend the Cinema Society and Details Magazine hosted screening of "Gone Baby Gone" at the IFC Center on Oct. 16, 2007 in New York. Source: AGOEV

Sources: SFist, New York Post, HuffPost


Three years later, the couple separated and eventually divorced.

Foto: Kimberly Guilfoyle arrives for a dinner for business and civic leaders at the De Young Museum in San Francisco on November 7, 2005. Source: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Guilfoyle joined Fox News in 2006 as a host of the weekend show "The Lineup".

Foto: Kimberly Guilfoyle hosting "The Lineup" on Fox News in 2006 Source: YouTube

Sources: Fox News, AdWeek


After the show was canceled, Guilfoyle remained with the network as a legal analyst and became a co-host of "The Five" in 2011.

Foto: TV personality Alex Trebek (3rd R) and hosts of 'The Five' (L-R) Kimberly Guilfoyle, Bob Beckel, Eric Bolling, Dana Perino and Greg Gutfeld attend FOX News' 'The Five' at FOX Studios on February 26, 2014 in New York City. Source: Noam Galai/Getty Images

Sources: Fox News, AdWeek


She served in the same position for several years. Guilfoyle has also appeared on "The O'Reilly Factor", "Hannity", and "Fox and Friends". In 2017, she signed a long-term extension with Fox News.

Foto: From left, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Bob Beckel, Eric Bolling, Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld and Andrea Tantaros co-hosts of Fox News Channel's "The Five" pose for a portrait in studio following a taping of the show Monday, Jul. 1, 2013 in New York. Source: Carlo Allegri/Invision/AP Images

Sources: Fox News, AdWeek


Guilfoyle put down permanent New York roots in 2014, when she bought a $3.4 million, 2-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side. It was filled with taxidermied animals, but she's since transformed the space. Jerry Seinfeld reportedly lives in the building, too.

Foto: What the Central Park West apartment looked like before Kimberly Guilfoyle bought it. Source: Halstead Property/Zillow

Sources: The Real Deal, City Realty, Zillow, Daily Mail, The Real Deal


In 2015, Guilfoyle wrote a semi-autobiographical book called "Making the Case: How to Be your Own Best Advocate" on her experience as a prosecutor and encouraging others to always stand up for themselves.

Foto: Kimberly Guilfoyle attends the premiere of "Ides of March" at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011 in New York. Source: AGOEV

Source: Forbes


When former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson accused former Fox News chief Roger Ailes of sexual harassment, Guilfoyle disputed the charges and came to her boss's defense.

Foto: Kimberly Guilfoyle attends the 'Fury' New York Premiere at DGA Theater on October 14, 2014 in New York City Source: MediaPunch

Source: Business Insider


In December 2016, Trump was reportedly considering Guilfoyle to be his press secretary.

Foto: Kimberly Guilfoyle on Fox News Source: YouTube

Source: Business Insider


In 2017, it was rumored that Guilfoyle was dating Anthony Scaramucci, the financier who served as Trump's White House communications director for 10 days.

Foto: John Corbett, Bo Derek, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Anthony Scaramucci attend the Closing Night Gala at Cinecittà in Rome, Italy on September 10, 2017. Source: Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Celebrity Fight Night

Sources: New York Post, Business Insider


After Sean Spicer resigned in July, Guilfoyle said she was in conversations with Trump to succeed Spicer in the role. She was ultimately not selected for the job.

Foto: Source: YouTube

Source: Business Insider


In May, rumors swirled that Guilfoyle was dating Trump Jr., who is nine years her junior. Page Six reported that the TV personality and president's first-born had been dating for weeks, and that they'd been spotted out together in New York.

Foto: The president's eldest son, Donald Trump, Jr., is rumored to be dating Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle. Source: AP; Invision; Business Insider/Rebecca Harrington

Source: Page Six


In June 2018, the couple made things Instagram official, both posting photos vacationing together in Montana and at a Poison concert.

Foto: Donald Trump Jr. Kimberly Guilfoyle Source: Drew Angerer/Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Sources: Business Insider


Guilfoyle left Fox News in July 2018.

Foto: Guilfoyle sits on the panel of Fox News Channel's 'The Five' as pundit Bob Beckel rejoins the show at FOX Studios. Source: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

Source: Business Insider


She joined Trump Jr. on the campaign trail and picked up the vice chairwoman role at America First Policies, a pro-Trump nonprofit.

Foto: Kimberly Guilfoyle and Donald Trump Jr. are seen at a Ted Cruz Rally at the Lone Star Convention Center on October 3, 2018 in Conroe, Texas. Source: Bob Levey/Getty Images for Left/Right TV

Guilfoyle made frequent rally appearances by Trump's side in the months leading up to the 2018 midterms.

Foto: Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr. and Mark McKinnon are seen at a Ted Cruz Rally at the Lone Star Convention Center on October 3, 2018 in Conroe, Texas. Source: Bob Levey/Getty Images for Left/Right TV

By Christmas, Guilfoyle was a regular fixture at Trump family appearances, even attending the 96th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony seats away from President Donald and first lady Melania Trump.

Foto: Tiffany Trump, Donald Trump Jr. with his girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle attend the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony near the White House on November 28, 2018. Source: Pool-Oliver Contreras/Getty Images

In February 2019, Guilfoyle attended New York Fashion Week and posed with the president's ex-wife Marla Maples and her daughter Tiffany at the Taoray Wang show.

Foto: Source: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Taoray Wang

Source: New York Post


When a trailer dropped for "Bombshell," a movie dramatizing the fall of Roger Ailes and the shake-up of Fox News, Guilfoyle was featured via a look-alike played by Bree Condon.

Foto: Source: Screenshot via YouTube, Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Source: Business Insider


Guilfoyle weighed in on House Democrats' impeachment inquiry into the president with a joint Halloween costume depicting a "witch hunt."

Foto: Source: Screenshot via Instagram

Source: Instagram


Guilfoyle and Trump Jr. were back in the public eye doing press around the November 2019 publishing of his book, "Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us."

Foto: Source: Amazon

Sources: Business Insider, Amazon


The couple struck controversy when they joined ABC's "The View," where they clashed with host Meghan McCain before taking to Twitter to slam the media as a whole.

Foto: Whoopi Goldberg speaks during a taping of "The View" on Thursday with guests Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle (third and fourth from the right). Source: Lou Rocco/ABC via Getty Images

Source: Business Insider


Another appearance went haywire when the crowd at the University of California at Los Angeles heckled Trump and Guilfoyle for refusing to take questions before they left the stage.

Foto: Donald Trump, Jr hugs his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, before speaking at the University of Florida. Source: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Source: The Guardian


Guilfoyle remained a top figure in the Trump campaign in preparation for the 2020 Election. In January, Guilfoyle was named chair of Trump Victory, a fundraising committee.

Foto: Source: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

After an April HuffPost report said Trump's campaign was paying Guilfoyle and Lara Trump $180,000 a year each, campaign manager Brad Parscale defended the significant others' roles with the re-election effort.

Foto: Brad Parscale. Source: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Source: Business Insider


Guilfoyle took center stage in August for a speech at the Republican National Convention, where she sparked headlines with her signature fiery speaking style and exaggerated claims about her background and the president's campaign.

Foto: Kimberly Guilfoyle pre-records her address to the Republican National Convention at the Mellon Auditorium on August 24, 2020 in Washington, DC. Source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Source: Business Insider


Business Insider's John Haltiwanger reported that Guilfoyle was a centerpiece of the convention's opening night, warning Trump's Democratic opponents "and the rest of the socialists will fundamentally change this nation" in a speech that set a dark tone for the RNC and Trump's campaign at large.

Foto: Kimberly Guilfoyle delivers a pre-recorded speech to the largely virtual 2020 Republican National Convention, from Washington, DC, August 24, 2020. Source: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Source: Business Insider