Julie Banderas is an Emmy Award-winning, American television news anchor for the Fox News Channel, based in New York City. She formerly hosted Fox Report Weekend until making her move to a weekday anchor role. She currently serves as a primary fill in anchor Monday–Friday. Jon Scott is her successor of the weekend program as of June 2018 after Julie chose to leave her weekend post to anchor weekdays.
Early life
Banderas is a daughter of Fabiola R., a Colombian woman, and Howard D. Bidwell. Banderas has a sister named Melissa. She graduated with a bachelor's degree from Emerson College. Bidwell remains Julie's legal last name. She has one sibling, Melissa Bidwell, and four half siblings from her father's first marriage: Howard Bidwell, Marybeth Bender, Susan Williams, and Tracy Bidwell. Banderas’ father died in 2010. Bidwell was a Navy veteran and civil engineer who started his own company called Consolidated Precast, Inc. According to his obituary, he was married three times. His second wife was Banderas’ mother, Fabiola. Banderas’ mother is from Colombia and still has relatives living there.
Career
Banderas began her career at WLVI-TV in Boston. She went on to serve as a local newsanchorwoman for WHSV-TV in Harrisonburg, Virginia; WBRE-TV in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; WFSB-TV in Hartford, Connecticut and WNYW in New York City. Banderas joined the Fox News Channel in March 2005 as a general assignment reporter. In June 2006, she gained international media attention for her infamous on-air clash with Shirley Phelps-Roper, former spokeswoman for the Westboro Baptist Church, in which she later stated "These people should be arrested, and I understand the right to protest, but when you disgrace not only our fallen soldiers, but when you disgrace innocent young children, I swear. Lock ‘em up. Throw away the key. Give ‘em the death penalty. I think it‘s disgusting." In 2008, she replaced Laurie Dhue at the anchor position for Fox Report Weekend. In 2010 she took maternity leave with Harris Faulkner assuming her responsibilities. She returned to Fox News from leave near the end of 2010 and was reassigned to the position of general news correspondent. In June 2019, Banderas asserted that special counsel Robert Mueller “said that he had confidence that clearly did not commit a crime.” Mueller did not say that, but rather said, "If we had confidence that the president did not commit a crime, we would have said so."
Personal life
Banderas' husband, Andrew J. Sansone, a member of the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity and founding president of both Old Rock Media and Big Apple Channel, proposed marriage to her with a message in a bottle while they were clam digging on Long Island Sound. She announced their engagement during an episode of America's Election Headquarters on September 21, 2008. They wed at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church on August 29, 2009. Their daughter Addison Melissa was born on April 21, 2010. A second daughter, Avery Julie, was born on November 13, 2012. A son, Andrew Harrison, was born on May 9, 2016. They currently reside in New York City.
