A list of the names of all respected and revered living personnel in the modern world of Journalism would not be complete without the West Coast Anchor on NBC’s Today Show, Natalie Morales-Rhodes. The Taiwan-born journalist is known for her insightful coverage of American and global news, building a solid reputation since she began her career in 1994. As her career blossomed, there has been plenty to learn about the journalist, from her career to her personal life. Here are some of the interesting facts worth learning about the NBC journalist.
A Woman with a Diverse Background
Although she is known for her work in American media, Natalie Morales’s roots can be traced to Brazil and Puerto Rico. Born on the 6th of June 1972, she has a Brazilian mother and a Puerto Rican father, and she was born in Taipei, Taiwan.
She spent the early parts of her life spending her time between American, Panama, Brazil, and Spain, thanks to her father, Lieutenant Colonel Mario Morales, Jr, who worked in the United States Air Force.
Her diverse background and upbringing made Natalie a fluent speaker of Spanish and Portuguese, as well as English. After completing high school at Caesar Rodney High School, she headed off to college at Rutgers University. Natalie studied Latin American studies and Journalism & Media Studies. Outside of her academics, she was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa sorority.
Life as a Journalist
Before she started on the journalistic path she is on today, Natalie Morales worked for Chase Bank. Her brief stint working in the financial sector came to an end in 1994 when she began her journalism career as a reporter.
Working for News 12 – The Bronx, Natalie Morales served in other roles as an on-air anchor, a camera operator, editor, and producer. She later joined WVIT-TV as a reporter and weekend anchor. During her time at WVIT-TV, Natalie covered major American events such as the Columbine shootings as well as the unfortunate September 11 attacks.
As the years went by, the NBC journalist diversified her portfolio. She hosted and reported the documentary, Save Our Sound. She also worked for Court TV, all while building a reputation as one of the best Hispanic journalists working in American media.
Career with NBC
Natalie Morales’s long-running relationship with NBC began in 2002 when she joined MSNBC as an anchor and correspondent. She spent four years with the network before she joined one of the shows she is most recognized for, the Today show. She started as a national correspondent for the show before she was made a co-anchor in 2008.
Her time on Today show came to an end in 2016 after a five-year stint as the show’s news anchor. She moved to Access Hollywood, where she spent three years between 2016 and 2019. In the same year, she began working as the anchor of Today West Coast, a position she has held to date.
Outside of her anchor, reporter, and correspondent duties, she has also worked as a host of Miss Universe as well as an actress in more than 11 films/TV shows, including titles like Nashville, Harley Quinn, and This is Us.
Over the course of her career, she has earned six award nominations, including Daytime Emmys and the Emmy Awards.
What We Know About Her Net Worth
Not only has she achieved fame along with other accomplishments as a journalist, but Natalie Morales has also found a significant degree of wealth. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the Taiwan-born journalist has an estimated net worth of $16 million.
She has been able to accrue her significant net worth from a yearly salary of $6 million, a figure that places her among the highest-paid journalists in the country.
Personal Life – Husband and Children
Other than a financially comfortable life and a thriving career, Natalie Morales has a great family. She has been married to Joseph Rhodes since August 1998, and together, they share two children – Josh, who was born in 2004, and Luke Hudson, who was born in 2008.
She and her family live in Brentwood, California. As for her husband, Joseph, he is a native of Boulder, Colorado. He is an investment banker with a long career history that includes Kidder, Peabody & Co, as well as a managing partner position at Hummingbirds Brands.
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