Betsy Woodruff Swan is a well-known journalist who works as a national political reporter for Politico and a contributor to MSNBC. She is also the wife of Jonathan Swan, an Australian journalist who works for Axios and won an Emmy Award for his interview with former President Donald Trump in 2020. But is she related to another famous journalist, Judy Woodruff, who anchors PBS NewsHour and has a long career in broadcast journalism? The answer is no. Here’s why.
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Betsy Woodruff Swan’s Family Background
Betsy Woodruff Swan was born on October 31, 1989, in Columbia, Missouri. She grew up in Purcellville, Virginia, with her parents, Scott and Jane Woodruff, and her two siblings, Chris and Jane. Her father is a certified financial planner and her mother is a former marketing graduate who worked at the Patrick Henry College Bookstore before becoming a housewife. Betsy has credited her parents for instilling in her a strong work ethic and a sense of integrity.
Betsy graduated from Hillsdale College in 2012 with a BA in English. She started her journalism career as a reporter and William F. Buckley Fellow at National Review. She then moved to the Washington Examiner, Slate, and The Daily Beast before joining Politico in 2020. She has covered topics such as immigration, federal law enforcement, justice, and the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. She has also appeared on Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC as a political analyst.
Betsy married Jonathan Swan on September 14, 2019, in a ceremony at Decatur House in Washington, D.C. They met in 2014 through mutual friends and got engaged in 2018. They have one daughter, Esther Jane Swan, who was born on November 8, 2020.
Judy Woodruff’s Family Background
Judy Woodruff was born on November 20, 1946, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She grew up in Augusta, Georgia, with her parents, William H. Woodruff and Anna Lee Woodruff. Her father was a chief warrant officer in the U.S. Army and her mother was a homemaker. Judy attended Meredith College and Duke University, where she graduated with a BA in political science in 1968.
Judy began her journalism career as a news anchor at CBS affiliate WAGA-TV in Atlanta. She then joined NBC News as a White House correspondent and later as the chief Washington correspondent. She also co-anchored NBC’s Today show from 1982 to 1983. She moved to PBS in 1983 and became the host of Frontline with Judy Woodruff from 1984 to 1990. She then joined CNN as the anchor of Inside Politics from 1993 to 2005. She returned to PBS in 2006 and became the co-anchor and managing editor of PBS NewsHour in 2013.
Judy married Al Hunt, a former columnist for The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News, in 1980. They have three children: Jeffrey Hunt, Benjamin Hunt, and Lauren Hunt. Their son Jeffrey has spina bifida, a birth defect that affects the spine. Judy has been an advocate for children with disabilities and has served on the boards of several organizations that support them.
Why People Think Betsy Woodruff Swan and Judy Woodruff Are Related
One of the reasons why people think Betsy Woodruff Swan and Judy Woodruff are related is because they share the same last name: Woodruff. However, this is not uncommon in the United States, where there are many people with the same or similar surnames that are not necessarily related.
Another reason why people think Betsy Woodruff Swan and Judy Woodruff are related is because they are both prominent journalists who cover politics and have appeared on similar platforms such as MSNBC. However, this is also not a conclusive indicator of familial ties, as there are many journalists who work in the same field or media outlets without being related.
A third reason why people think Betsy Woodruff Swan and Judy Woodruff are related is because they have some physical resemblance such as blonde hair and blue eyes. However, this is also not a reliable proof of kinship, as there are many people who look alike without being related.
How Betsy Woodruff Swan Cleared the Rumor
Betsy Woodruff Swan has addressed the rumor that she is related to Judy Woodruff several times on social media and interviews. She has clarified that she is not Judy’s daughter or niece or any other relation. She has also expressed her admiration for Judy’s work and professionalism.
For example, on November 14, 2017, Betsy tweeted: “Judy Woodruff is not my mom. But she is a great journalist and a wonderful person.” On March 4, 2020, she tweeted: “Judy Woodruff is not my mom. But she is a legend and I’m honored to share a last name with her.” On May 31, 2021, she tweeted: “Judy Woodruff is not my mom. But she is an icon and I’m lucky to be in the same profession as her.”
In an interview with TheNetline in 2019, Betsy said: “I get asked if Judy Woodruff is my mom all the time. She’s not, but I love her work. She’s a role model for me and for so many other journalists.”
Conclusion
Betsy Woodruff Swan and Judy Woodruff are not related by blood or marriage. They are both journalists who share the same last name and cover politics, but they have different family backgrounds and career paths. Betsy has denied the rumor that she is Judy’s daughter or niece and has praised Judy’s achievements and character. They are both respected and successful in their own right..
