Early Life and Journalism Career
Leventhal earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from American University in Washington, D.C. He began his career in local television, working as a reporter and anchor in several cities, including Columbia, Spartanburg, Miami, and Chicago. He joined Fox News in 1997 and quickly became known for his live coverage from dangerous and fast-developing situations. He reported from the front lines of some of the most significant global events of the past three decades. On September 11, 2001, Leventhal was one of the first national reporters on the scene at the World Trade Center, broadcasting live as the Twin Towers collapsed. He was later embedded with U.S. troops during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and filed reports from Libya, Israel, and Gaza during periods of conflict. Leventhal also covered numerous natural disasters, including Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, as well as the 2010 Haiti earthquake. His experience in war zones and disaster areas made him a trusted correspondent for serious, high-stakes journalism. He left Fox News in 2021 and took time to focus on family and independent media projects. In 2024, he returned to national broadcasting as the host of “The Leventhal Report” on Newsmax.
Personal Life
Leventhal has been married three times. His first wife, Penny Daniels, was also a TV journalist. They had two daughters, Veronica and Shoshana, before eventually divorcing. His second marriage was to professional poker player Beth Shak. They wed in June 2016 but divorced the following year. In 2019, Leventhal met Kelly Dodd at a Hamptons party. The two quickly hit it off, and Leventhal proposed later that year. They were married in October 2020 in a private outdoor ceremony in Napa Valley. The couple currently lives together in Newport Beach, California, with Kelly’s daughter from her previous marriage.
Real Estate
In September 2004, Rick paid $500,000 for a home in Westhampton, New York. He met Kelly Dodd when she attended a Fourth of July party at his house in 2019. Rick sold this home in November 2024 for $1.16 million. In early 2021, Kelly and Rick purchased a 2.3-acre parcel in La Quinta and began planning to construct a 7,000-square-foot mansion. They ultimately abandoned those plans and flipped the lot. In January 2022, Kelly and Rick paid $715,000 for a home in Palm Desert, California.
