Betsy Woodruff Swan and Bob Woodruff are both well-known journalists who work for different media outlets. Betsy is a national political reporter for Politico and a contributor to MSNBC, while Bob is a correspondent for ABC News and a co-founder of the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which supports injured veterans and their families. But are they related by blood or marriage? The answer is no.
How the Rumor Started
The rumor that Betsy and Bob are related might have originated from their shared last name, which is not very common in the United States. According to Ancestry.com, Woodruff is an English surname derived from a place name meaning “a clearing by a wood” It ranks as the 1,217th most popular surname in the U.S., with about 27,000 people bearing it as of 2010
Another possible source of confusion is that Betsy and Bob both have spouses who are also journalists. Betsy married Jonathan Swan, a reporter for The New York Times, in 2019 Bob married Lee McConaughy, a former public relations executive, in 1988 However, neither of them changed their last names after marriage, which might have led some people to assume that they were already related before tying the knot.
The Facts About Their Families
Betsy and Bob have different family backgrounds and histories. Betsy was born in Columbia, Missouri, on October 31, 1989, to Robert and Frances Woodruff She has two brothers, Chris and Ben, who are both lawyers She graduated from Hillsdale College in Michigan with a degree in English in 2012
Bob was born in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on August 18, 1961, to Robert and Frances Woodruff He has three siblings: David, Jim, and Nancy He graduated from Colgate University in New York with a degree in history in 1983 and from the University of Michigan Law School with a degree in law in 1987.
As you can see, Betsy and Bob have different parents, siblings, birthplaces, and alma maters. They also have different career paths and achievements. Betsy started her journalism career as a reporter for National Review and then worked for the Washington Examiner, Slate, and The Daily Beast before joining Politico in 2020. She has covered topics such as federal law enforcement, immigration, criminal justice, and politics.
Bob started his journalism career as an interpreter for CBS News during the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 and then worked for several local stations before joining ABC News in 1996. He has covered topics such as international conflicts, natural disasters, human rights issues, and presidential elections. He was severely injured by an improvised explosive device while reporting from Iraq in 2006 and underwent a long recovery process before returning to work. He also co-founded the Bob Woodruff Foundation in 2007 to help wounded veterans and their families.
The Bottom Line
Betsy Woodruff Swan and Bob Woodruff are not related by blood or marriage. They are both respected journalists who share a common profession and a rare surname, but they have different families and backgrounds. The rumor that they are related is false and should not be spread without verification.
