History of Nancy Grace in Timeline
Nancy Grace is an American legal commentator and television journalist best known for hosting HLN's "Nancy Grace" (2005-2016) and Court TV's "Closing Arguments" (1996-2007). Her career is marked by her strong opinions and advocacy in high-profile criminal cases, often involving celebrity defendants. She has also written a book, "Objection!", criticizing aspects of the criminal justice system. She also worked as an arbiter on Swift Justice with Nancy Grace.
October 23, 1959: Nancy Grace's Birth
On October 23, 1959, Nancy Ann Grace was born. She would later become a 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 fiancé was murdered. This event is often referred to as the impetus for her career as a prosecutor and victims' rights advocate.
1994: Reprimand by the 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: Hosting Closing Arguments on Court TV
In 1996, Nancy Grace began hosting "Closing Arguments" on Court TV.
1996: Joins Court TV
In 1996, Nancy Grace was approached by Court TV founder Steven Brill and accepted an offer to do a legal commentary show alongside Johnnie Cochran.
2004: Begins hosting Closing Arguments on Court TV
In 2004, Nancy Grace began hosting Closing Arguments on Court TV.
May 21, 2005: Voiced role on Saturday Night Live
On May 21, 2005, Nancy Grace's voice was impersonated on Saturday Night Live's Saturday TV Funhouse segment in a Divertor sketch, where she said, "[Name of celebrity in question] should fry."
2005: Hosting Nancy Grace on HLN
In 2005, Nancy Grace began hosting "Nancy Grace," a nightly celebrity news and current affairs show on HLN.
2005: Publication of "Objection!: How High-Priced Defense Attorneys, Celebrity Defendants, and a 24/7 Media Have Hijacked Our Criminal Justice System"
In 2005, Nancy 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: Show Began and Criticism Arises
Since Nancy Grace's show began in 2005, she has received criticism for her handling of the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart, the Duke lacrosse case, the Melinda Duckett interview and suicide, and the Caylee Anthony case.
March 2006: Article in the New York Observer
In March 2006, an article in the New York Observer suggested that Nancy Grace had embellished the story of her college fiancé's 1979 murder in her book Objection!.
November 21, 2006: The Smoking Gun Exposes Litigation
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, the murderer of Nancy Grace's fiancé, was released on parole from the Georgia Department of Corrections.
March 2007: Response to Keith Olbermann's claims
In March 2007, Nancy Grace responded to Keith Olbermann's claims that she embellished the story of her fiancé's murder, stating she wouldn't waste time on a war of words with him.
April 2007: Marriage to David Linch
In April 2007, Nancy Grace married David Linch, an Atlanta investment banker, in a small private ceremony.
May 22, 2007: Appearance on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
On May 22, 2007, Nancy Grace appeared in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Screwed" playing herself opposite Star Jones.
June 19, 2007: Last Show on Court TV
On June 19, 2007, Nancy Grace hosted her last show on Court TV.
June 26, 2007: Pregnancy Announcement
On June 26, 2007, 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, Lucy Elizabeth and John David.
2007: End of Closing Arguments on Court TV
In 2007, Nancy Grace's time hosting "Closing Arguments" on Court TV ended.
January 2008: Due date for twins
In January 2008, Nancy Grace was expecting the arrival of her twins.
August 11, 2009: Release of "The Eleventh Victim"
On August 11, 2009, Nancy Grace's first work of fiction, The Eleventh Victim, was released, becoming a New York Times bestseller and the foundation for the Hailey Dean Mysteries series.
August 10, 2010: Publication of "Death on the D-List"
On August 10, 2010, Nancy Grace's third New York Times bestselling novel, Death on the D-List, 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 Estate of Melinda Duckett
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 Duckett.
May 2011: Grace Leaves Swift Justice
In May 2011, Nancy Grace left "Swift Justice with Nancy Grace" due to production relocation.
July 5, 2011: Highest Ratings for Nancy Grace Show on HLN After Casey Anthony Verdict
On July 5, 2011, after the controversial verdict in the Casey Anthony case, Nancy Grace's show on HLN achieved its highest ratings ever during the 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. time slots.
September 2011: Jackie Glass Takes Over Swift Justice
In September 2011, Judge Jackie Glass replaced Nancy Grace on "Swift Justice".
September 19, 2011: Dancing with the Stars premiere
On September 19, 2011, Nancy Grace began as a contestant on the thirteenth season of Dancing with the Stars, partnered with Tristan MacManus.
November 8, 2011: Elimination from Dancing with the Stars
On November 8, 2011, Nancy Grace and her partner Tristan MacManus were eliminated from Dancing with the Stars, placing 5th overall.
November 22, 2011: Toni Medrano Killed Son
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.
2011: Criticism in New York Times article
In 2011, a New York Times article criticized Nancy Grace, stating her show erodes respect for basic rights.
January 4, 2012: Lawsuit settled against CNN
On January 4, 2012, the lawsuit against CNN, brought by the family of Medrano, was settled. Medrano had committed suicide following a segment done by Nancy Grace. The personal injury attorney Michael Padden stated, "I can tell you the case was settled in principle two weeks ago".
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 with Manslaughter
On June 6, 2012, Toni Medrano was charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter.
2012: Swift Justice Production Ceased
In 2012, production for Swift Justice ceased.
January 6, 2013: Legalization of marijuana in Colorado
On January 6, 2013, much of Nancy Grace's dialogue from the SNL sketch was lifted directly from an interview she conducted with Brooke Baldwin on CNN's News Room, in particular the phrase 'I've got a sneaking suspicion that you are pro-pot. And I don't like it.'
January 2014: Ignites Controversy over Marijuana
In January 2014, Nancy Grace ignited controversy with her negative depiction of recreational marijuana users.
April 8, 2014: Nancy Grace discusses Ultimate Warrior's death
On April 8, 2014, following the death of WWE Hall of Famer The Ultimate Warrior, Nancy Grace invited retired wrestler Diamond Dallas Page on her show to discuss deaths in wrestling and implied the death was related to steroid use, despite an autopsy concluding natural causes with no drugs or alcohol.
2014: Character in Gone Girl Based on Grace
In 2014, it was widely acknowledged that the character of Ellen Abbot in the film Gone Girl is based on Nancy Grace. Grace stated she was "very flattered".
October 11, 2016: Appearance 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 criticized for capitalizing on others' tragedies. They also addressed her handling of The Ultimate Warrior's death, and the Duke lacrosse case.
October 13, 2016: Final Show
On October 13, 2016, Nancy Grace hosted her last show at the end of her contract.
2016: End of Nancy Grace Show on HLN
In 2016, Nancy Grace's nightly celebrity news and current affairs show on HLN came to an end.
2016: Publication of "Murder in the Courthouse"
In 2016, Nancy Grace's novel Murder in the Courthouse was published by BenBella Books.
January 10, 2017: Start of "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace" Podcast
Since January 10, 2017, Nancy Grace has hosted a daily Podcast on Crime Online called "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace".
June 2017: Reading with Tyler Henry
In June 2017, Nancy Grace had a reading with Tyler Henry on his E! TV show, Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry, where she believed he communicated with her deceased father and fiancé.
April 2018: Analysis of Tyler Henry Reading
In April 2018, Susan Gerbic analyzed Nancy Grace's reading with Tyler Henry, detailing how Grace had been fooled by cold and hot reading techniques.
July 13, 2019: Premiere of Injustice with Nancy Grace
On July 13, 2019, "Injustice with Nancy Grace", a true crime series hosted by Nancy Grace, began airing on the Oxygen TV channel.
July 14, 2019: Recognition for advocacy work
Nancy Grace has been recognized by many organizations including the Carole Sund-Carrington Foundation, Crime Victims United of California and The Retreat for her advocacy work on behalf of victims’ rights as of July 14, 2019.
2023: Honorary Doctorate from Jacksonville State University
In 2023, Nancy Grace was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Jacksonville State University.
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