What To Know
- Jessica Tarlov shares in her new book how she learned of her father’s impending death while preparing for her wedding.
- Her father managed to attend her intimate wedding despite his illness.
- Tarlov, who was pregnant at the time, describes the emotional journey of losing her father.
Fox News host Jessica Tarlov has revealed she was trying on her wedding dress when she learned that her father was going to die very soon.
The Five‘s lone liberal commentator opens up about her father’s death in her new book, I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends, scheduled for release on Tuesday, September 15. In an excerpt from the book shared by People, Tarlov explained how her dad had a years-long battle with tongue cancer that came to a head around the time she tied the knot with hedge fund executive Brian McKenna.
Tarlov’s father, Mark, was an American film producer and director who worked on the movies Serial Mom, Copycat, and Simply Irresistible. He later became a winemaker, making his tongue cancer diagnosis all the more devastating.
The political strategist for the Democratic Party said her wedding plans changed as her father’s condition worsened. She and McKenna decided to hold the ceremony at a park near her parents’ home and have a small reception with friends at a neighborhood restaurant.
Many think they’ve got the best dad out there. Happy for yours to be in the company of mine and @mollytarlov ‘s. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, the ladies doing the dad stuff and really anyone being an amazing role model for a kid. Pretty great thing to do 👌🏻 pic.twitter.com/mMxFrphjs5
— Jessica Tarlov (@JessicaTarlov) June 17, 2018
However, the night before the wedding, Tarlov’s dad started to feel unwell. His condition had worsened by the morning, and her mom had to take him to the hospital. Tarlov’s parents made it back in time for the ceremony, which turned into a highly emotional affair, with Tarlov’s sister giving a speech that honored both the newlyweds and Mark.
Tarlov described the day as a mix of happiness and sadness, noting how she knew in that moment that her father wouldn’t be there for the birth of her first child. She was pregnant when she got married, and welcomed a daughter, Cleo, in December 2021. Her father passed on July 31, 2021.
The political commentator said she, her sister, and their mom were with him when he passed. Each of them told him it was okay to go.
Tarlov, who had taken up a permanent cohost role on The Five at the time, later broke down in tears on air. She said it was an enormous release, knowing she didn’t have to hide her feelings anymore, either in front of her colleagues or the viewers.