Lawrence O’Donnell is not married and has remained single for some time now. However, the Irish news anchor was, in fact, happily wedded at one point.
And much like his political commentary, this union had its fair share of controversy towards the end.
So, stick around as we get into all the details concerning his failed marriage, how it shook up his career, and what’s been going on in his dating life since then.
Has Lawrence Odonnell Ever Been Married?
Lawrence O’Donnell was married to American actress turned psychotherapist Kathryn Harrold. Sadly, they hit the rocks after almost two decades together.
The couple exchanged vows in 1994 after meeting through a mutual friend. Shortly afterward, they had their daughter Elizabeth Buckley Harrold. However, their marriage ended in separation 19 years later in 2013.
Following the split from his ex-wife, the foundation of O’Donnell’s life shook so much that it sent him into a downward spiral.
Less than a year into their divorce, the former legislative aide narrowly escaped death. He was a victim of a drunk driving accident while on vacation in the Virgin Islands.
For the next three years, he remained dormant until an 8-minute clip of his meltdown leaked in 2017.
It wasn’t long before people started to comment and associate these unfortunate events with his marriage crashing.
At the time, the reasons behind his divorce were not made public, but during that period, rumors started making the rounds that Lawrence and his MSNBC colleague, Tamron Hall, were dating.
In fact, word on the grapevine was that the two TV hosts had been together for several years but preferred to keep things under wraps because Lawrence O’Donnell was still married to Kathryn Harrold.
This was all speculation, though, as both he and his ex-wife have appeared to be single ever since.
Lawrence O’Donnell’s Biography
Born on November 7, 1951, in Boston, Massachusetts, Lawrence Francis O’Donnell Jr is the son of Frances Marie (née Buckley), an office manager, and Lawrence Francis O’Donnell Sr., an attorney and member of the Supreme Court Bar.
After graduating from Harvard, O’Donnell started off his career as an author where he published the book, Deadly Force.
Later on, he served as a legislative aide in 1989 to Senator Daniel Moynihan and subsequently became his senior adviser.
Following his experience in government, O’Donnell landed an hour-long weeknight news and political commentary program on MSNBC.
The show first aired on September 27, 2010, with Vice President Biden and Countdown host Olbermann featuring in the episode.
Not content with just sitting behind the desk, O’Donnell who often refers to himself as a “practical European socialist” has also dabbled in entertainment.
He worked as an executive producer on political drama The West Wing, winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. He has also made appearances in other popular TV series such as True Blood, House Of Cards, and The Simpsons.
Lawrence O’Donnell’s Past Partners
Tamron Hall
Lawrence O’Donnell’s relationship with fellow anchor Tamron Hall was not well received by many.
This was partly because reports of Lawrence and Tamron Hall’s affair circulated long before the former’s divorce was formalized.
In February of 2012, the New York Post was the first media source to report on the developing relationship between the MSNBC characters.
Tamron and Lawrence were spotted many times outside the confines of their working environment. At one point, there were even talks about a secret wedding.
But through it all, neither Lawrence nor his claimed girlfriend publicly addressed the rumours. In the end, Tamron Hall announcing her pregnancy and marriage to music exec Steven Greener finally put the whispers to rest.
Kerry Washington
Lawrence O’Donnell reportedly dated Scandal actress Kerry Washington. Once again, neither party confirmed nor denied this.
Regardless, they were photographed looking chummy on several occasions.
Is Lawrence O’Donnell Single?
From juggling his podcast with nightly hosting duties at MSNBC to keeping up with public appearances and activism, the 72-year-old has got his plate full.
As of February 2024, nearly ten years after his divorce, Lawrence O’Donnell is still flying solo, with no mention of a new partner. I mean, who has time for love when you’re busy making headlines, right?
