Wendy Noack was part of the reason her husband Ed Schultz switched from being a conservative to being a liberal. On July 5, 2018, RT America announced in a statement that Schultz, a former host with MSNBC, had died of natural causes at his home in Washington D.C. Schultz is survived by his wife of 20 years, Wendy Noack, as well as his six children. The late talkshow host and his wife divided their time between Washington D.C. and Minnesota. Schultz was previously married to Maureen Zimmerman, the couple divorced in 1993.
RT America News Director Mikhail Solodovnikov elaborated on the original Russia Today statement by saying, “He was a big-time professional and a tough fighter. Between us I always called him a ‘gladiator.’ He would never give up; he was always a winner. He was tough on a lot of young journalists in RT America’s newsroom; he was a mentor to a few.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Couple Met at a Soup Kitchen on Their First
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Noack had been working as a psychiatric nurse and had been running a homeless shelter in North Dakota. According to the Columbia Journalism Review, Noack insisted that Schultz meet her at a soup kitchen on their first date. In an interview with the Daily Beast, Noack described the date saying, “Ed was in his suit, dressed to the nines, surrounded by homeless people. He was mortified. He had a very tender heart and was very easy to tip over.”
Salon.com quoted Schultz’s 2010 book Killer Politics with the host saying, “Wendy asked me to meet her at a homeless shelter where she volunteered. It hadn’t really dawned on me that homelessness could exist in Fargo. In my mind, a homeless person was a slacker, someone who just wasn’t trying hard enough, and said these self-righteous things on the air. I didn’t know then that one in four homeless people is a Vietnam veteran.”
She introduced him to veterans and other homeless people and showed him how difficult it was for people receive adequate mental healthcare. In 2000, Schultz registered as a Democrat. Schultz had said in the past that he is a gun owner and so are his sons but that he supports some gun control measures. On Roe v Wade, Schultz said, “Now, as far as abortion is concerned, in my heart I’m a Christian. I’m against it. But we’re livin’ in a country where the majority rule and I’m not, as a talk show host, overturning Roe v Wade.”
2. Noack Has Been Cancer Free Since 2013
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Schultz married Wendy Noack in 1998. In 2013, Schultz announced that his wife was cancer free after a seven month-long battle with Ovarian cancer. Schultz said in a statement at the time, “It has been a long seven months for my wife, Wendy Schultz, and her battle with ovarian cancer. After major surgery in July, followed by 18 weeks of intense chemotherapy, Wendy had a CT scan on Friday and the news came today (Tuesday) that she is cancer free. I know that she wants to thank all of you who have been so gracious with your prayers and support. And I can tell you my wife, who is not a very public person, through me is telling you that she is deeply touched and appreciates it. And through all of this we’ve learned a lot as a family about sticking together and also what people go through who don’t have insurance. And I’ll have that commentary and those remarks tomorrow (Wednesday) night.”
In July 2012, Schultz had announced to the world that his wife was suffering from cancer. He said on his radio show, “It’s been a real jolt to say the least. It shakes you to your bones. But she’s a tough girl, and she went through surgery yesterday. The doctors feel like they got all of it… but we’ve got a long way to go… You lose track of time, you lost track of what you’re doing, and everything changes.”
3. Noack Was a Producer on Schultz’s Radio Show
The Daily Beast referred to Noack as a producer on Schultz’s radio show. A Grand Forks Herald feature on Schultz described Noack as helping with “public relations and producing.” On Schultz’s NBC profile, it says that his son, Dave, is a professional golfer and that Schultz “shares his passion for hunting, fishing and flying with his large family.” David Schultz works as the pro at the Maple River Golf Club in North Dakota, according to WDAY.
4. Schultz’s First Wife Maureen Zimmerman Filed a Restraining Order Against Him During Their Divorce
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Conservative news outlet The Daily Caller reported in February 2015 that during Schultz’s divorce from TV reporter Maureen Zimmerman, she filed a restraining order against him. The order was filed in November 1995, Zimmerman first filed for divorce in January 1993. During a deposition over a separate lawsuit, Schultz was asked about the restraining order. According to the Daily Caller, Schultz responded, “I am going to have to plead a 5th on that . I don’t- I don’t remember.”
5. Infamously, Schultz Was Once Suspended for Calling Conservative Laura Ingraham a ‘S***’
In 2011, Schultz was suspended by MSNBC for calling conservative commentator Laura Ingraham a “s***” on his radio show. Schultz issued an apology saying, “On my radio show yesterday I used vile and inappropriate language when talking about talk show host Laura Ingraham. I am deeply sorry and I apologize. It was wrong, uncalled-for and I recognize the severity of what I said. I apologize to you, Laura, and ask for your forgiveness. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances were. It doesn’t matter that it was on radio and I was ad-libbing. None of that matters. None of that matters. What matters is is what I said was terribly vile and not of the standards that I or any other person should adhere to. I want all of you to know tonight that I did call Laura Ingraham today and did not make contact with her and I will apologize to her as I did in the message I left her today.”
Ingraham responded to Schultz on her Facebook page writing, “Re. the crude comments made about me by Ed Schultz on his radio program: First, I was surprised to learn that Ed Schultz actually hosted a radio show. Is it only available online? Second, I have to get back to recording the audio edition of my new book “Of Thee I Zing.” Now I’m tempted to insert one additional zing–about men who preach civility but practice misogyny.” Ingraham later confirmed that she had accepted Schultz’s apology.
