History of George Stephanopoulos in Timeline
George Stephanopoulos is an American television host, political commentator, and former Democratic advisor. He currently co-anchors Good Morning America and hosts This Week, ABC's Sunday morning current events news program, solidifying his presence in both news and morning television.
February 10, 1961: George Stephanopoulos Born
On February 10, 1961, George Robert Stephanopoulos was born. He is an American television host, political commentator, and former Democratic advisor.
1965: Reference to 1965 Supreme Court Ruling
On January 7, 2012, during a debate among Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum, Stephanopoulos questioned Romney on his stance regarding a 1965 Supreme Court ruling that a constitutional right to privacy bars states from banning contraception.
1978: Graduation from Orange High School
In 1978, George Stephanopoulos graduated from Orange High School in Pepper Pike, Ohio, marking the completion of his secondary education.
1982: Graduation from Columbia University
In 1982, Stephanopoulos graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Columbia University, where he was also the salutatorian of his class, a Phi Beta Kappa member, and a Harry S. Truman Scholar. He was also a sports broadcaster for 89.9 WKCR-FM, the university's radio station.
1988: Work on Dukakis Presidential Campaign
In 1988, Stephanopoulos worked on the U.S. presidential campaign of Michael Dukakis, drawn to Dukakis's Greek-American background and liberal stance. After the campaign, he became an executive floor assistant to Dick Gephardt.
September 1991: Meeting Bill Clinton
In September 1991, Stephanopoulos met Bill Clinton. This meeting began the journey that led to his role in two presidential campaigns and four years in the White House, all of which is covered in his book.
1992: Communications Director for Clinton Campaign
In 1992, Stephanopoulos became the communications director for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign, marking an early rise to prominence in the Democratic Party.
1992: Leading Member of Clinton's Presidential Campaign
In 1992, Stephanopoulos, alongside David Wilhelm and James Carville, was a leading member of Bill Clinton's U.S. presidential campaign.
1993: Portrayal in 'The War Room'
In 1993, Stephanopoulos's role in Clinton's 1992 U.S. presidential campaign was portrayed in the documentary film "The War Room".
February 25, 1994: Conference Call Regarding Resolution Trust Corporation
On February 25, 1994, Stephanopoulos and Harold Ickes had a conference call with Roger Altman to discuss the Resolution Trust Corporation's choice of Republican lawyer Jay Stephens to head the Madison Guaranty investigation and whether Stephens could be removed.
October 1994: Friends episode airs featuring George Stephanopoulos
In October 1994, the NBC television series "Friends" aired the episode "The One with George Stephanopoulos" (season 1, episode 4), in which the female characters spy on Stephanopoulos after mistakenly receiving his pizza delivery.
1994: Report on Real Estate Deal
In 1994, Jack Anderson reported that Stephanopoulos signed an $835,000 commercial real estate deal with a below-market loan rate from a bank owned by Hugh McColl. Questions were raised about whether Stephanopoulos's position influenced the loan approval.
1994: Discrediting Paula Jones Allegations
In 1994, following Paula Jones's accusations of sexual harassment against Bill Clinton, Stephanopoulos and James Carville sought to discredit her allegations. Stephanopoulos also worked to prevent Jones's news conference from being televised.
1995: Inspiration for Lewis Rothschild in The American President
In 1995, Michael J. Fox's character, Lewis Rothschild, in the film "The American President", written by Aaron Sorkin, was modeled after George Stephanopoulos.
1995: Car Accident and Arrest
In 1995, Stephanopoulos was arrested after his car collided with a parked vehicle in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and driving with an expired license and license plates, though the former charge was later dropped.
December 1996: Departure from the White House
In December 1996, George Stephanopoulos departed from his role as senior advisor for policy and strategy in the Clinton White House.
1996: Inspiration for Henry Burton in Primary Colors
In 1996, George Stephanopoulos served as the inspiration for the character Henry Burton in Joe Klein's novel "Primary Colors".
1996: Resignation from Clinton Administration
In 1996, Stephanopoulos resigned from the Clinton administration shortly after Clinton's re-election. He was among the first within the White House to recognize the potential damage of the Lewinsky affair.
1998: Henry Burton portrayed in film adaptation
In 1998, Adrian Lester portrayed the character Henry Burton in the film adaptation of Joe Klein's novel "Primary Colors". The character was inspired by George Stephanopoulos.
1999: Defamation Lawsuit by Gennifer Flowers
In 1999, Stephanopoulos and James Carville were sued for defamation by Gennifer Flowers over comments made about her allegations of an affair with Bill Clinton. Stephanopoulos dismissed her story as "tabloid trash", "garbage", and "crap", but the suit was eventually dismissed.
1999: Publication of 'All Too Human'
In 1999, Stephanopoulos's memoir, "All Too Human: A Political Education", was published and quickly became a number-one bestseller on The New York Times Best Seller list for five weeks. The book detailed his experiences in the Clinton White House, including his struggles with depression.
2000: Named one of People magazine's "Most Wanted"
In 2000, George Stephanopoulos was featured in People magazine's "Most Wanted" list as one of the nineties' most eligible non-Hollywood bachelors, appearing alongside George Clooney.
2001: Marriage to Ali Wentworth
In 2001, George Stephanopoulos married Ali Wentworth, who is an actress, comedian, and writer.
September 2002: Host of 'This Week'
In September 2002, Stephanopoulos became the host of "This Week", marking a significant step in his journalism career.
2002: Birth of first daughter
In 2002, George Stephanopoulos and Ali Wentworth welcomed their first daughter.
2003: Keynote Speaker at Columbia College's Class Day
In 2003, George Stephanopoulos returned to his alma mater, Columbia University, serving as the keynote speaker at Columbia College's Class Day.
December 2005: Named Chief Washington Correspondent
In December 2005, ABC News officially named Stephanopoulos "Chief Washington Correspondent", recognizing his growing role in the network's news division.
2005: Offered 'This Week' Host Job to Ted Koppel
In 2005, ABC News executives reportedly offered Ted Koppel the "This Week" host job due to the program's low ratings.
2005: Birth of second daughter
In 2005, George Stephanopoulos and Ali Wentworth welcomed their second daughter.
May 2007: Honorary Doctor of Laws from St. John's University
In May 2007, George Stephanopoulos received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from St. John's University in New York City.
April 16, 2008: Co-Moderation of Democratic Presidential Debate
On April 16, 2008, Stephanopoulos co-moderated a Democratic Party presidential debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. The moderators were criticized for focusing on campaign controversies rather than key issues.
2008: Launch of 'George's Bottom Line' Blog
During the 2008 presidential election campaign, Stephanopoulos launched "George's Bottom Line," a blog on the ABC News website, where he provided political news and analysis.
January 11, 2009: 'This Week' Beats 'Meet the Press'
On January 11, 2009, "This Week" beat "Meet the Press" in ratings after Stephanopoulos interviewed president-elect Barack Obama.
December 14, 2009: Starts Co-Anchoring Good Morning America
On December 14, 2009, Stephanopoulos began co-anchoring "Good Morning America".
December 2009: Offered Diane Sawyer's Job on Good Morning America
In December 2009, Stephanopoulos was offered Diane Sawyer's job on "Good Morning America" by ABC News president David Westin.
January 10, 2010: Last Broadcast as Permanent Host of 'This Week'
On January 10, 2010, Stephanopoulos had his last broadcast as the permanent host of "This Week" before returning to the show later.
2010: Attendance at Dinner Party Hosted by Jeffrey Epstein
In 2010, Stephanopoulos attended a dinner party at the home of Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Following Epstein's arrest in July 2019, the guest list was reported online, and Stephanopoulos received backlash, stating that the dinner party was his only encounter with Epstein.
December 2011: Return as Host of 'This Week'
In December 2011, Stephanopoulos returned as host of "This Week" after Christiane Amanpour left the show.
January 7, 2012: Co-Moderation of Republican Debate
On January 7, 2012, Stephanopoulos co-moderated a debate among Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum. He questioned Romney on his stance regarding a 1965 Supreme Court ruling on contraception.
2012: Donation to Clinton Foundation
In 2012, Stephanopoulos donated $25,000 to the Clinton Foundation, one of three such donations.
2013: Appearance on House of Cards
In 2013, George Stephanopoulos played himself in an episode of "House of Cards".
2013: Donation to Clinton Foundation
In 2013, Stephanopoulos donated $25,000 to the Clinton Foundation, one of three such donations.
2014: Appearance on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
In 2014, George Stephanopoulos played himself in "Shadows", an episode of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.".
2014: Donation to Clinton Foundation
In 2014, Stephanopoulos donated $25,000 to the Clinton Foundation, one of three such donations.
April 26, 2015: Interview with Peter Schweizer
On April 26, 2015, Stephanopoulos interviewed Peter Schweizer, the author of "Clinton Cash", without disclosing his own donations to the Clinton Foundation.
May 14, 2015: Exposure of Donations to Clinton Foundation
On May 14, 2015, Politico exposed Stephanopoulos's donations to the Clinton Foundation, leading to an apology and admission that he should have disclosed the donations.
February 2016: Withdrawal from Moderating Republican Debate
In February 2016, Stephanopoulos withdrew from moderating a Republican presidential primary debate due to concerns about bias and conflict of interest arising from his donations to the Clinton Foundation.
September 2016: Featured on Greek postage stamp
In September 2016, George Stephanopoulos was featured on a €1 Greek postage stamp, along with other notable Greek-Americans.
July 2019: Backlash from Attending Epstein Dinner Party
In July 2019, following Jeffrey Epstein's arrest, Stephanopoulos received backlash for attending a dinner party at Epstein's home in 2010.
2020: End of Tenure as Chief Anchor at ABC News
In 2020, Stephanopoulos concluded his tenure as Chief Anchor at ABC News, though he retained his roles on GMA and This Week.
2021: Portrayal in Impeachment: American Crime Story
In 2021, George Stephanopoulos was portrayed by George H. Xanthis in two episodes of "Impeachment: American Crime Story", the third season of the true-crime anthology television series on FX.
2021: ABC Contract Deal
In 2021, Stephanopoulos signed a deal to stay with ABC for $105 million.
July 2022: Mention in Loot
In July 2022, in Loot's episode 4 of season 1, the main character Molly Novak said, "sometimes I turn on the news and pretend George Stephanopoulos is my husband."
March 19, 2024: Defamation Lawsuit Filed by Donald Trump
On March 19, 2024, Donald Trump filed a defamation lawsuit in Florida against ABC News and Stephanopoulos over a March 10 airing of "This Week", arguing that Stephanopoulos harmed Trump's reputation by claiming he was found liable for raping E. Jean Carroll.
July 2024: Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss Defamation Lawsuit
In July 2024, Judge Cecilia Altonaga denied a motion to dismiss the defamation suit brought by Trump against Stephanopoulos, stating that the technical definition of "rape" used in the New York case did not examine the jury's findings of "sexual abuse".
December 14, 2024: Settlement of Defamation Lawsuit
On December 14, 2024, George Stephanopoulos and ABC News settled the defamation lawsuit with Donald Trump, paying $15 million to Trump's presidential library, $1 million for Trump's legal fees, and issuing a public apology for false statements made during the interview on March 10th.
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