History of Nancy Grace in Timeline
Nancy Grace is an American legal commentator and television journalist known for hosting the HLN nightly celebrity news and current affairs show, Nancy Grace, from 2005 to 2016. Prior to that, she hosted Court TV's Closing Arguments (1996-2007). Grace also co-authored "Objection! How High-Priced Defense Attorneys, Celebrity Defendants, and a 24/7 Media Have Hijacked Our Criminal Justice System." Additionally, she served as the arbiter of Swift Justice with Nancy Grace during its first season.
October 23, 1959: Nancy Grace's Birth
On October 23, 1959, Nancy Ann Grace was born. She would later become an American legal commentator and television journalist.
1977: Graduation from Windsor Academy
In 1977, Nancy Grace graduated from Macon's Windsor Academy.
1979: Murder of Fiancé
In 1979, Nancy Grace's college fiancé was murdered, which she has described as the impetus for her career as a prosecutor and victims' rights advocate.
1994: Reprimand by Supreme Court of Georgia
In 1994, Nancy Grace, while a prosecutor, was reprimanded by the Supreme Court of Georgia for withholding exculpatory evidence in an arson and murder case, leading to the overturning of the conviction.
1996: Joins Court TV with Steven Brill
In 1996, Nancy Grace accepted an offer from Court TV founder Steven Brill to do a legal commentary show alongside Johnnie Cochran.
1996: Host of Closing Arguments on Court TV
In 1996, Nancy Grace started hosting Court TV's "Closing Arguments".
2002: David Westerfield Trial Coverage
During the trial of David Westerfield in 2002, for the kidnap and murder of Danielle van Dam, Nancy Grace made it clear on Larry King Live that she thought he was guilty, but she got some facts wrong.
2002: Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping Case
In 2002, during the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case, Nancy Grace repeatedly proclaimed Richard Ricci guilty on Court TV and CNN's Larry King Live, despite limited evidence. Ricci was later found to have no connection to the actual kidnappers.
2004: Host of Closing Arguments
In 2004, Nancy Grace was moved to a solo trial coverage show on Court TV, hosting Closing Arguments.
May 21, 2005: Saturday TV Funhouse Appearance
On May 21, 2005, Amy Poehler voiced Nancy Grace as part of "Saturday Night Live's" Saturday TV Funhouse segment in a Divertor sketch, where Grace says "[Name of celebrity in question] should fry."
2005: Objection! Published
In 2005, Grace's first book, "Objection!: How High-Priced Defense Attorneys, Celebrity Defendants, and a 24/7 Media Have Hijacked Our Criminal Justice System", was published by Hyperion and became a New York Times bestseller.
2005: Host of Nancy Grace on HLN
In 2005, Nancy Grace started hosting "Nancy Grace", a nightly celebrity news and current affairs show on HLN.
2005: Show Began
In 2005, Nancy Grace's show began and the presumption of innocence has found a willful enemy in the former prosecutor turned broadcast judge-and-jury.
March 2006: New York Observer Article
In March 2006, an article in the New York Observer suggested that in her book Objection!, Nancy Grace had embellished the story of her college fiancé's 1979 murder and the ensuing trial to better support her image.
July 2006: Interview with Elizabeth Smart
In July 2006, Nancy Grace interviewed Elizabeth Smart, repeatedly asking about her abduction despite Smart's discomfort, until Smart asked Grace to stop.
September 2006: Melinda Duckett Suicide
In September 2006, 22-year-old Melinda Duckett committed suicide following an interview conducted by Nancy Grace concerning the disappearance of Duckett's 2-year-old son, Trenton.
November 21, 2006: Wrongful Death Claim
On November 21, 2006, The Smoking Gun exposed pending litigation on behalf of the estate of Melinda Duckett, asserting a wrongful death claim against CNN and Nancy Grace.
December 5, 2006: Release of Tommy McCoy
On December 5, 2006, Tommy McCoy, who murdered Nancy Grace's fiancé, was released on parole from the Georgia Department of Corrections.
2006: Duke University Lacrosse Case
In 2006, throughout the Duke University lacrosse case, Nancy Grace took a vehemently pro-prosecution position.
March 2007: Response to Olbermann's Claims
In March 2007, Nancy Grace responded to Keith Olbermann's claims in a Rolling Stone interview, where he suggested she should spend less time on television and more time in therapy due to embellishing her fiancé's murder story. Grace stated she would not waste her time on a "war of words" with Olbermann and would focus on her work for crime victims.
April 2007: Marriage to David Linch
In April 2007, Nancy Grace married David Linch, an Atlanta investment banker, in a small private ceremony. The two had met while she was studying at Mercer University in the 1970s.
May 22, 2007: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Appearance
On May 22, 2007, Nancy Grace appeared in the season 8 finale episode "Screwed" of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit", playing herself opposite Star Jones.
June 19, 2007: Last Show on Court TV
On June 19, 2007, Nancy Grace did her last show on Court TV.
June 26, 2007: Pregnancy Announcement
On June 26, 2007, an emotional Nancy Grace announced on her HLN talk show that she was pregnant and expecting twins due in January 2008.
November 2007: Birth of Twins
In November 2007, Nancy Grace gave birth to twins named Lucy Elizabeth and John David.
2007: End of Closing Arguments on Court TV
In 2007, Nancy Grace ended her time as host of Court TV's "Closing Arguments".
January 2008: Expected Birth of Twins
In January 2008, Nancy Grace was expecting twins.
2008: Caylee Anthony Disappearance
From 2008, the Caylee Anthony disappearance and the prosecution, trial, and acquittal of her mother Casey Anthony on charges of murder of the child were a regular feature of the Nancy Grace show.
August 11, 2009: The Eleventh Victim Release
On August 11, 2009, Grace's first fiction novel, "The Eleventh Victim", was released by Hyperion. The mystery thriller follows Hailey Dean, a psychology student whose fiancé is murdered.
August 10, 2010: Death on the D-List Published
On August 10, 2010, "Death on the D-List", Grace's third New York Times bestselling novel, was published by Hyperion.
September 13, 2010: Premiere of Swift Justice with Nancy Grace
On September 13, 2010, Swift Justice with Nancy Grace premiered.
November 8, 2010: Settlement with Melinda Duckett Estate
On November 8, 2010, Nancy Grace reached a settlement with the estate of Melinda Duckett to create a $200,000 trust fund dedicated to locating Trenton.
May 2011: Grace Leaves Swift Justice
In May 2011, Nancy Grace left Swift Justice with Nancy Grace due to productions moving from Atlanta to Los Angeles.
July 5, 2011: Highest Ratings for Nancy Grace Show
On Tuesday, July 5, 2011, after the Casey Anthony verdict, Nancy Grace's show on HLN had its highest ratings ever in the 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. hour slots.
September 2011: Judge Jackie Glass Takes Over
In September 2011, Judge Jackie Glass, known for the O. J. Simpson robbery case, took over Nancy Grace's place on Swift Justice with Nancy Grace.
September 19, 2011: Dancing with the Stars Debut
On September 19, 2011, Nancy Grace began her run as a contestant on the thirteenth season of "Dancing with the Stars". She was partnered with pro-dancer Tristan MacManus.
November 8, 2011: Eliminated from Dancing with the Stars
On November 8, 2011, Nancy Grace and her partner Tristan MacManus were eliminated from "Dancing with the Stars". The couple lasted for 8 weeks and placed 5th overall in the competition, one week shy of the semi-finals.
November 22, 2011: "Vodka Mom" Case
On November 22, 2011, Toni Annette Medrano accidentally killed her 3-week-old son, Adrian Alexander Medrano, while she was sleeping on the couch with him, leading Nancy Grace to dub Medrano "Vodka Mom".
2011: New York Times Article
In 2011, David Carr wrote a New York Times article criticizing Nancy Grace's handling of several cases since her show began in 2005.
2011: Caylee Anthony Disappearance
Until 2011, the Caylee Anthony disappearance and the prosecution, trial, and acquittal of her mother Casey Anthony on charges of murder of the child were a regular feature of the Nancy Grace show.
January 4, 2012: Medrano Family Lawsuit Settled
On January 4, 2012, a lawsuit against CNN brought by the family of Melinda Medrano, who committed suicide after being featured on Nancy Grace's show, was settled out of court. Personal injury attorney Michael Padden announced that the case had been resolved in principle two weeks prior through negotiation, without a formal lawsuit being served.
April 2012: Appearance on Raising Hope
In April 2012, Nancy Grace appeared on the last two episodes of the second season of the TV show "Raising Hope", playing herself.
June 6, 2012: Medrano Charged
On June 6, 2012, Toni Annette Medrano was charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter.
2012: Swift Justice Ceases Production
In 2012, Swift Justice with Nancy Grace ceased production after one more season with Judge Jackie Glass.
January 6, 2013: CNN Interview on Marijuana Legalization
On January 6, 2013, Nancy Grace conducted an interview with Brooke Baldwin on CNN's News Room regarding the legalization of marijuana in Colorado. Some of Grace's dialogue from the interview was later used in a Saturday Night Live parody.
January 6, 2014: Marijuana Legalization Controversy
On January 6, 2014, Nancy Grace sparked controversy for her negative depiction of recreational marijuana users during a segment on CNN with Brooke Baldwin, covering legalization in Colorado.
January 2014: Negative Depiction of Marijuana Users
In January 2014, Nancy Grace ignited controversy for her negative depiction of recreational marijuana users.
April 8, 2014: Grace Discusses Ultimate Warrior's Death
Following WWE Hall of Famer The Ultimate Warrior's death on April 8, 2014, Nancy Grace invited Diamond Dallas Page on her show to discuss Warrior. Grace claimed that "rumors of steroid and drug use are swirling" in the case of Ultimate Warrior's death, although an autopsy had concluded that Warrior had died of natural causes with neither drugs nor alcohol in his system at his time of death. During the segment, Grace linked the deaths of several wrestlers to drug abuse, even though their deaths were unrelated to drug abuse.
2014: Inspiration for Gone Girl Character
In 2014, the character of Ellen Abbot in the film "Gone Girl" was based on Nancy Grace. Grace was "very flattered" by the portrayal.
October 11, 2016: Guest on The Jim Norton and Sam Roberts Show
On October 11, 2016, Nancy Grace appeared as a guest on The Jim Norton and Sam Roberts Show, where she was accused of capitalizing on tragedies for personal gain.
October 13, 2016: Last Show
On October 13, 2016, Nancy Grace hosted her last show at the end of her contract.
2016: Murder in the Courthouse Published
In 2016, Grace's novel, "Murder in the Courthouse", was published by BenBella Books.
2016: End of Nancy Grace Show
In 2016, Nancy Grace's nightly celebrity news and current affairs show on HLN, came to an end.
January 10, 2017: Crime Stories Podcast Debut
Since January 10, 2017, Nancy Grace has hosted a daily Podcast on Crime Online called "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace".
June 2017: Hollywood Medium Appearance
In June 2017, Nancy Grace appeared on the E! TV show, "Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry". During the reading, Henry purportedly communicated with Grace's dead father and murdered fiancé, which Grace believed brought her closure.
April 2018: Gerbic Analyzes Hollywood Medium Reading
In April 2018, Susan Gerbic published "Nancy Grace Should be Ashamed of Herself!" analyzing Nancy Grace's "Hollywood Medium" reading. Gerbic detailed how Grace was fooled by fraudulent cold and hot reading techniques.
July 13, 2019: Injustice with Nancy Grace Series Premiere
On July 13, 2019, "Injustice with Nancy Grace", a true crime series hosted by Nancy Grace, began airing on Oxygen TV channel, focusing on criminal cases with unjust accusations and bungled investigations.
2023: Honorary Doctorate of Letters
In 2023, Nancy Grace was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Jacksonville State University.
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