Virginia Donald is widely popular for being the ex-wife of American broadcast journalist Shepard Smith. While the momentum of Donald’s career in journalism remains under wraps, her ex-husband Smith became a significant Fox News figure; he joined the channel during its inception in 1996 and worked there for 2 decades.
The Shepard Smith Reporting host stepped down from Fox News Network 2018, terminating his multi-year deal, and went on a brief hiatus. Two years later, he resumed his journalism career on CNBC in 2020, and currently hosts The News with Shepard Smith on the network.
The love story between the two started from their college days at the University of Mississippi, and would later embrace the jewels of married life. However, their relationship was not meant forever as they divorced after 6 years of marriage. A fast-forward to 24 years into his divorce, Mr. Smith publicly confirmed that he is gay. Moreover, he mentioned having a longtime boyfriend.
Returning to the topic, what’s up with Virginia Donald? Where is she now? Read the full article to know all the interesting facts about Virginia.
Alumna Of The University Of Mississippi- What Is Virginia Donald Age?
Virginia Donald, the United States-born lady holds American citizenship. She grew up in Mississippi, but details of her early life and family remain under wraps. Born in the 1960s, Donald is allegedly in her 50s as of 2022.
While there are speculations that her parents are high school teachers, no supporting stance on the claim is on display.
Virginia reportedly attended the University of Mississippi (aka Ole Miss). She enrolled in the Univerisity’s The Meek School of Journalism and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism in the late ’80s.
Married Life With Shepard Smith Was Only A 6-Year Journey, Reason For Divorce?
While at the University of Mississippi, Donald met her future husband Shepard Smith. Reportedly, they were on the same faculty and Smith had a crush on her. It would take him several months to express his feelings and later, they would start dating.
After a few years of relationship, the college-time sweethearts married in 1987, however, there ain’t any details of their wedding so far. At that time, Shepard was only 23 years, and so to mention, Virginia was in her 20s too.
By the time of their wedding, the Mississippi native Mr. Smith was yet to get the journalism hype. He was working for local TV channels throughout the United States; WJHG-TV (Florida), WSVN (Miami), and WKMG-TV (Orlando).
Virginia was married to Shepard Smith for around six years during the late 1980s and early 1990sMoving on to their married life, the couple started having troubles in their relationship a few years after marriage. After around five years of marriage, their relationship saw a downfall and they divorced in 1993, without sharing any children.
The actual reason for their divorce never came up. But a decade later, Smith came out of the closet as gay which led fans to assume it was the reason for their split- no parties nodded on those allegations though.
Where Is She Now?
No updates on Donald- about her whereabouts. Some sources cite that aside from journalism instincts, she tried out her hands in acting but it was not fruitful.
CBS News Anchor Lillian Lalo Was Mistaken As Virginia Donald
After her divorce from Shepard Smith, Donald went even more low-key than before. The prying eyes of fans were eager to dig out on the former celebrity spouse which led to confusion between the CBS Morning News Lillian Lalo and Virginia Donald.
In response, Lalo herself said that the picture of Smith with his wife Donald was rather showing herself. On October 13, 2019, Lillian made a Tweet and confirmed that she and Shepard were never in a relationship either.
It has come to my attention that if you search “Shepard Smith Wife” my image comes up. 🧐😳As much as I love Shep, we were never married. Also, I was 2 in 1993. I’m sharing this as a reminder to ALWAYS question what you see and read online. #ShepardSmith #Shepardsmithwife pic.twitter.com/TqMsas2bsA
— Lillian Lalo (@LillianLalo) October 12, 2019
As for a fact, Lillian Lalo is also a graduate of the University of Mississippi, like Donald and her ex-husband Shepard. Moreover, Lalo completed her Master’s Degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from West Virginia University.
Ex-Husband Shepard Smith Came Out As Gay
A longtime employee of Fox News Channel, Shepard first talked about his sexual orientation during an interview with Huff Post in 2016, claiming he was a gay man. This incident came as the voice of defense for the channel’s late chairman and CEO Roger Ailes, who faced accusations of harassment by his staff.
A year later, in April 2017, during a speech at his alma mater, the University of Mississippi, Smith publicly admitted that he was gay. He said,
“I’ve never really stood in front of a crowd and talked to them about ‘the gay,’. But I’ve got nothing to hide.”
Even more, hinting at his boyfriend, the NBC News host said that after dealing with all his work, he would come home ‘to the man he loves, and go home to family.‘
Who Is Smith Dating Now? Details On Boyfriend!
Currently, Smith is in a relationship with his boyfriend Giovanni “Gio” Graziano (b. 1987), who is 23 years his junior.
During a 2018 interview with Time, Shepard Smith mentioned the adoration and understanding between him & his longtime boyfriend. He told:
“I have a longtime boyfriend and we’re as happy as we can be,’ revealed Smith. We live a very normal life and go to dinner and go to games and see his family and see my family.”
Back in May 2017, during a tribute to his late boss Roger Ailes, Shepard revealed that Ailes and his wife were always big supporters of him and Gio. He also credited Ailes for his and his partner’s first date in July 2016.
Shepard Smith is dating his longtime boyfriend Giovanni Gio GrazianoOn October 11, 2019, the longtime Fox News host & anchor expressed his heartfelt monologue before leaving the network, he did mention his boyfriend Gio and their pet dog Lucia.
Giovanni Graziano And Smith Began Dating In 2012- Are They Married?
As reported, Smith and Graziano began dating in 2012, but it was 5 years before their relationship became official to the public. They are yet to marry.
Even before Smith had confirmed his sexuality, online sources like Gawker and Slate had already speculated Smith was gay back in 2013. Reportedly, Smith would make frequent visits with Graziano at a Manhattan bar called Bathtub Gin. Moreover, the two were often pictured together at many events.
As per Gio’s LinkedIn profile, he is a 2008 graduate of Penn State University and worked as a production assistant for Fox News Channel (2009-11). Then from October 2012 to July 2013, Gio was the associate producer at Varney & Co. on the Fox Business Network. Currently, his professional whereabouts are unknown.
Net Worth Of Virginia Donald – Her Ex is a Rich Man
Virginia has been living a low-key life since her divorce from her first husband Smith. Due to this fact, there is nothing known about her career endeavors and livelihood. The same goes for her net worth and financial details as they are still behind the curtains.
On the other hand, Virginia’s ex-husband, Shepard is a rich man. He has amassed a hefty fortune from his career. As of 2022, his net worth is estimated at $25 million. Besides, some online sources suggest that the former husband of Virginia Donald receives a huge $10 million in salary.