Kristen Welker is an American television journalist working for NBC News. She is well-known as the network’s co-chief White House correspondent and as co-anchor of Weekend Today, the Saturday edition of Today.
Know more about her below!
Kristen Welker Welcomes Her First Child Via Surrogacy
Kristen Welker welcomed a daughter after the NBC News chief White House correspondent had shared her surrogacy story with the world.
Welker named her daughter Margot Welker Hughes as she first stepped into this world on 12 June 2021. “Margot truly is the love of our lives,” Welker wrote in an email to the Today show that was shared on Monday’s show. “Seeing her precious face and looking into her eyes has made every minute of our journey.”
Welker added that she and her husband John Hughes stayed in a hospital room next to their surrogates. “We stayed in rooms next to each other and visited throughout so that we and little Margot could thank her for bringing Margot into the world,” Welker explained.
Baby Margot, who weighed 8 pounds and 6 ounces, was named after Welker’s grandmother Margaret.
The couple confirmed in April of 2021 that they were expecting their first child via surrogate after years of infertility struggles. Ahead of Margot’s birth, Welker penned a letter to her daughter that she hoped would “one day explain her extraordinary journey.”
“Your daddy and I have learned so many lessons trying to bring you here and we want to share them with you: Every journey is unique; don’t compare yourself to others. There will be heartbreaks in life; some won’t ever fully heal, others will make you stronger. It is OK to ask for help; in fact, it can be empowering,” Welker wrote.
“Families are made in all different ways, come in all different shapes and sizes, and all families should be celebrated. And, finally, while I didn’t carry you in mu body, I have always carried you in my heart and I will always be your mommy,” she continued.
The pair revealed to Today in April that they “immediately” started trying to get pregnant after tying the knot but were struggling to get pregnant. Recommended IVF by their doctor, the couple was then devastated to learn Welker’s uterine lining was too thin to carry a child.
Kristen Welker with husband, John Hughes, and newly born baby(©: Page Six)
In a letter to her unborn baby written in April, Welker wrote that she and her husband “felt vey alone” and “cried a lot,” but “never, ever gave up.” Working through a surrogacy agency, the couple soon was paired with a “special helper” they considered their “hero.” Walker recalled the moment finding out the surrogate was pregnant was the “happiest of our lives.”
Kristen Welker Married Life With Husband John Hughes
Kristen Welker tied the knot with John Hughes in the year 2017.
The couple first met through a mutual friend in October 2014. Hughes made a big first impression on their first date as a chivalrous man could do by waiting outside the eatery. Thanks to that, it earned him a second date where he handed her an envelope, saying, “I made you something.”
Hughes had made Welker a presidential trivial crossword puzzle with handwritten clues, which marked their romance deeper. Hughes proposed to Welker in 2016 at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial when she was covering the election campaigns for NBC News at that time.
The pair exchanged their vows in Philadelphia in 2017 in a ceremony at the Hyatt at the Bellevue. The attendees for the ceremony included NBC reporter Kelly O’Donnell, Meet the Press's Chuck Todd, CNBC’s Aditi Roy, and Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve chief.
They were married by Dare to Imagine Church’s the Rev. Kevin Johnson, and also shared the photos on his social media. Another guest shared an image showing Welker and Hughes’ first dance as a couple, which Dilion reported was to At Last by Etta James.
The couple now celebrates the anniversary of their first date every time it rolls around. Kristen revealed on Instagram that they recreate it every year to remember that magical night all over.
Now, the couple has happy news to share with the public. They finally have started a family of their own with the birth of their first daughter Margot together in June 2021.
Who Is Kristen Welker? Parents, Net Worth
Kristen Welker was born on 1 July 1976, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, to parents Harvey and Julie Welker.
Welker’s mother, Julie, a black woman, is a real estate who once ran for the 5th City Council district in Philly, a Philly.com article reported in 1995.
According to his LinkedIn profile, her father, Harvey, a white man, is a consulting engineer based in Pennsylvania. He attended Dartmouth College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1965. He also played football while he was at Dartmouth and later earned his master’s degree in 1967.
Prior to being a mom, Kristen took maternity leave from her job to get some parenting advice. She talked about it with three special moms in her life – her mother, Julie, her childhood friend Laura Lees Nagle and colleague Dylan Dreyer.
While the four ladies caught up via video conference to talk all things regarding motherhood, Julie recalled her days with the young Kristen. As she went on about the young Kristen, Julie always encouraged her rambunctious daughter to embrace her true self and said she plans on passing along that same lesson to her granddaughter.
Julie added that she’s “absolutely ready” to be a grandmother. “I will spoil, I will treat, but mainly I can’t wait until she gets old enough to go shopping.” And when any challenges come up? “The best advice is to call your mom!” Julie joked.
Kristen’s parents are quite the positive personality for the society, like herself, in the world. The couple has donated tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates and organizations since 1992.
Welker brought her father to a reception at the White House in December 2012, and they posed for a picture with President Obama and the first lady in a room adorned with holiday decorations. The photo was shared on Kristen’s Facebook account with the caption, “Christmas at the White House!”
The couple raised their daughter, Kristen, in Philadelphia. According to the Today show, she attended the Quaker Germantown Friends School before going on to Harvard University, where she studied American history.
Her parents have deep roots in Philadelphia, as they own multiple properties throughout the city, some of which they appear to rent out to tenants. Their primary residence appears to be a three-story townhouse that they purchased for $825,000 in 2008. Besides, the City of Philadelphia property records list Harvey and Julie Welker as the owners of at least 12 total properties.
Their daughter, Kristen, began her career in 2003, where she worked for WLNE-TV, an affiliate media station for ABC. She was with the media house for two years and was stationed in Providence, Rhode Island. The TV journalist also worked for KRCR-TV in Redding, California, until 2005.
In 2005, Kristen joined the NBC family as a reporter and anchor for news on weekends in WCAU. After staying with the media house for five years, she joined NBC News in 2010, where she started working as a correspondent at the West Coast Headquarters in Burbank, California. She received the role of White House correspondent for NBC News in December 2011. While working for NBC, she also presented for MSNBC, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, Today, Meet the Press, and NBCNews.com.
In 2016, she was a staple of 2016 election coverage for NBC News, which received her praise from various quarters. In 2020, Welker became a regular co-anchor of Weekend Today.
Apart from her career as a journalist, Welker has appeared in a TV series and a film with the role of a reporter. She appeared in Chapter 28 of House of Cards as herself. In 2009, she also appeared as a reporter in the film, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
Welker has made some good earnings from her professional career from NBC and some wages as well from her appearances in film and TV series. According to CelebrityNetWorth, she has an estimated net worth of $3 million.