Natalie Morales (journalist)

Natalie Morales-Rhodes (born Natalie Leticia Morales; June 6, 1972) is an American journalist who is currently a co-host and moderator of the CBS Daytime talk show '' The Talk''. Prior to that, Morales worked for NBC News for twenty two years in various roles
as the West Coast anchor of ''Today'', and appeared on ''Dateline NBC'' and ''NBC Nightly News.''

In August 2016, after the Rio Summer Olympics, Morales moved to Los Angeles, where she became both the West Coast anchor of ''Today'', and Billy Bush's replacement as host of ''Access Hollywood'' and ''Access Hollywood Live'', while continuing as a correspondent for ''Dateline''.

In addition to her other duties, she also hosts the Reelz series ''Behind Closed Doors with Natalie Morales''.

Early life

Morales was born in Taiwan, to a Brazilian mother, Penelope, and a Puerto Rican father, Lieutenant Colonel Mario Morales, Jr. She speaks Spanish and Portuguese and spent the first eighteen years of her life living in USA and overseas in Panama, Brazil, and Spain as a "U.S. Air Force brat". She graduated in 1990 from Caesar Rodney High School located in Camden, Delaware.

Morales holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University with dual majors in Journalism & Media Studies and Latin American studies. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and graduated ''summa cum laude''.

Career

Following college, Morales worked at Chase Bank before pursuing her journalism career. She began her on-air career at News 12 – The Bronx as the first morning anchor under News 12 - The Bronx's first news director Roberto Soto, and original studio directors Tom D’Elia, Brian Webb, Darryl Stith, and David Rein. She also served as a camera operator, editor, and producer for that network.

Morales went on to serve as a weekend anchor/reporter and morning co-anchor at WVIT-TV in Hartford, Connecticut, where she reported on the Columbine shootings, Hurricane Floyd, the 2000 Presidential election and the September 11, 2001 attacks. She also co-hosted and reported for the Emmy-nominated documentary, ''Save Our Sound'', a joint production with WNBC on preserving the Long Island Sound. In 1999, she was voted one of the 50 Most Influential Latinas for her news coverage and reports by the Hispanic daily newspaper ''El Diario La Prensa''. Previously, Morales spent two years working behind the scenes at Court TV.

Morales was an anchor and correspondent for MSNBC from 2002 to 2006. She covered a number of major news stories there including the 2004 Presidential election, the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, the Iraqi prisoner abuse, Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, the Blackout of 2003, the 2002 D.C. sniper attacks and the investigation and trial of Scott Peterson. Additionally, she was named one of ''Hispanic Magazine’s'' Top Trendsetters of 2003.

Morales joined the ''Today'' show in 2006 as a national correspondent, and was named co-anchor of the third hour of the show in March 2008. On May 9, 2011, it was announced that Morales would replace Ann Curry as the news anchor for ''Today'', when Curry succeeded Meredith Vieira as host of ''Today'' in June 2011. In 2016, it was announced that Morales would be moving west to host ''Access'' and become the West Coast anchor of ''Today''. In 2019, Morales stepped away from hosting ''Access'' and remained on ''Today''.

In October 2021, it was announced that Morales would be leaving NBC News after 22 years and it was confirmed that she would join the CBS Daytime talk show '' The Talk'' as a permanent co-host and moderator. In October 2022, it was announced that Morales would be joining CBS News as a correspondent.

Personal life

Morales married Joseph Rhodes on August 22, 1998. In 2002 they purchased a US$1 million townhouse in Hoboken, New Jersey, and expanded it in 2008 to 3,600 square feet. In June 2016, after Morales was made the West Coast anchor of ''Today'', the family put the Hoboken townhouse on the market, and moved into a house in Brentwood, California, the following month. By October, the townhouse had sold for $3.1 million.Hyman, Vicki (October 10, 2016)
"'Today' co-host Natalie Morales's Hoboken townhouse sells for asking, $3.1M (PHOTOS)"
NJ.com.

In November 2003, Morales gave birth to a son, Josh, via C-section at Hoboken's St. Mary Hospital."Having it all: Anchor and Hoboken resident Natalie Morales reflects on motherhood, juggling family and career and the birth of her son"
''The Hudson Reporter''. May 17, 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2012. Their second son, Luke Hudson, was born in late 2008.

Morales is an avid runner, having competed in five marathons, including three New York City Marathons. She has run and completed the 1995, 1996, and 2006 NYC Marathons. Morales also participates in triathlons. She has been featured in a full-length article and on the cover of the October 2010 issue of ''Triathlete Magazine''.

References

External links

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Natalie Morales
at Today
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Morales, Natalie
1972 births
Living people
Writers from Taipei
American bloggers
American people of Brazilian descent
American television news anchors
American journalists of Puerto Rican descent
American television reporters and correspondents
CBS News people
NBC News people
Hispanic and Latino American women journalists
People from Hoboken, New Jersey
Rutgers University alumni
American women bloggers
American women television journalists
21st-century American non-fiction writers
21st-century American women writers