Journalists Aaron Latham and Lesley Stahl attend New York City Ballet’s Spring 2013 Gala at David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center on May 8, 2013 in New York City. (Getty)
Aaron Latham is the husband of Leslie Stahl, who will be interviewing Donald Trump in his first post-election interview tonight on 60 Minutes. Latham, himself, is a journalist, and is a regular contributor to a number of celebrated publications.
Read on to learn more about Aaron Latham, Leslie Stahl’s husband.
1. He Co-Wrote the Film Movie Urban Cowboy
Urban Cowboy is a western romantic drama starring John Travolta that was released in 1980. The inspiration for the screenplay came from Latham’s 1978 article in Esquire Magazine, about Dew Westbrook and Betty Helmer. It has been likened to Saturday Night Fever, and was directed by James Bridges (who co-wrote the screenplay with Latham.) Latham went on to co-write the book for the 2003 Broadway musical version of Urban Cowboy.
Latham, 73, was born in the small town of Spur, in West Texas, to a long line of Texas Methodists. His father, Cecil Clyde Latham, was a high school football coach, and his mother, Annie Launa, taught grammar school. He attended Amherst College for undergrad, where he worked as editor of the school’s newspaper and graduated from in 1966. He then went on to receive his PhD from Princeton.
2. He Is Fighting Parkinson’s Disease
Last year, Stahl wrote a piece about Parkinson’s titled “Fighting Back Against Parksinson’s- In the Ring”, in which she discussed a program called Rock Steady Boxing, which uses professional boxing techniques to try and reverse Parkinson’s. Latham is part of the program, along with fellow Parkinsonians ages 45 to 92. Rock Steady Boxing was developed in Indianapolis in 2006, and has since spread to over 50 gyms worldwide.
In the article, Latham is quoted as saying, “Boxing’s just the opposite of Parkinson’s. Instead of to shrink you, everything’s designed to pump you up. First of all, you get to put on these great gloves. It gives you enormous, giant hands and a different attitude toward the world. You get your physical courage back and your mental courage seems to kinda come along.” Latham’s boxing coach, Roberta Marongiu, works as a gene therapies researcher for Parkinson’s at Will-Cornell Medical College when she isn’t coaching.
3. He Recently Finished Directing a Staged Production of ‘Golden Boy’ in Brooklyn
Latham recently finished directing Clifford Odets play, Golden Boy, staged at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn. The first performance of the show was in 1937, and this marks the first time the show has ever been performed in a site-specific setting.
According to Broadway World, the play was intended as a fundraising event for the Michael J. Fox Foundation and stoPD (Support and Training to Overcome Parkinson’s Disease), and starred two actors living with Parkinson’s. It also marked Latham’s theatrical directorial debut. The show ran from October 22nd to October 30th.
4. He Was an Editor for Esquire
In 1977, according to a People article, Latham was an editor for Esquire Magazine. An accomplished journalist, he has written for publications like Rolling Stone, Esquire, Talk, and The New York Times.
He and Stahl met in 1973, when Aaron was digging up Watergate anecdotes for an article. According to People.com, he was advised to contact Stahl for the project, who was “a CBS rookie covering the story” at the time. When Latham tracked down Stahl’s home number, she reportedly lashed out, saying, “How dare you call me at home? If you want to talk, call me tomorrow at the office.” Latham says he then turned on the TV to see what Stahl looked like and was struck by her beauty. People reports him as saying, “She’s so beautiful…. My heart stopped, my mouth dried up and I said, ‘What have I got myself into?’”
5. He and Stahl Have One Daughter
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 25: Journalists Lesley Stahl and Aaron Latham attend the TIME’s screening of Lincoln and Q & A on October 25, 2012 in New York City. (Getty)
After meeting, Latham became New York’s Watergate reporter, and met with Stahl a number of times over the next few years. Eventually, they realized their relationship was destined for more than friendship, and Latham moved into Stahl’s Watergate apartment. In Christmas of 1976, Stahl became pregnant. Shortly after, she told People, “I wouldn’t have a child without being married. They (CBS) weren’t easy on me. I had the Korean scandal, which meant stakeouts on my feet.” Their daughter’s name is Taylor Latham.
In 2008, at age 31, Taylor opened up her own business, Our Little Barrel– a luxury line of wine-themed clothing that she and her husband designed. In an interview, Taylor told The Observer, “My grandfather owned his business at a time when you did not hand your business over to your daughter. So he sold it, but I think there was a part of my mother that always wanted her father to pass it on to her. When we called and said we’re going to do this, she was so excited.”
