Instagram/Janice Dean Janice Dean.
Janice Dean, 48, is the senior meteorologist for Fox News and delivers the forecast on the morning program, Fox & Friends. She has been with the network since 2004.
Dean is also a published author. She has a series of children’s books in which the main character, a frog, teaches kids about weather.
Dean’s new book, “Mostly Sunny: How I Learned to Keep Smiling Through the Rainiest Days,” is a memoir. It was released on March 5, 2019.
The book includes details of alleged sexual harassment she faced from former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, who passed away in 2017.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Janice Dean Discusses Overcoming Struggles in Her New Book; She Also Details Conversations With Roger Ailes That Included Sexual Innuendos
Janice Dean could not contain her grief the day it was announced that former Fox CEO Roger Ailes had passed away. He died on May 18, 2017. He had been pushed out of the network less than a year before his death, amid accusations of sexual harassment from employees. Ailes denied the accusations.
Dean cried on the set of FOX & Friends. She said, “I wouldn’t be here without that man and when I was diagnosed with M.S., he got on the phone and said, whatever we can do for your family, because we were all part of a family. He was a presence and he will be missed on this channel. He will be missed.”
But in her new book, “Mostly Sunny,” Dean reportedly included questionable conversations she had with Ailes. Yashar Ali of New York Magazine posted an excerpt from the book on Twitter, in which Dean describes a moment when Ailes asked her if she was good at phone sex. Dean wrote that she tried to treat it like a joke, and that Ailes said to her, “You’re a little naughty. I see that side of you. You’ve played phone sex with your boyfriends before, right? Let me hear what you’d say to him… like if I was your boyfriend.”
A review by the Associated Press did not mention Ailes by name. The review included, “In a time when sexual harassment is no longer swept under the rug, Dean speaks openly about sexist bosses and inappropriate comments in the workplace.”
But the majority of the book appears to take on a much more uplifting tone. Dean discusses difficult times in her life and how she overcame them. She wrote on Fox News’ website, “The process of writing all of these experiences down – a no holds barred account — is a tremendous opportunity to talk about all of it open and honestly (and with humor too) in hopes I could ultimately help others. This book, in a lot of ways, is something I would’ve loved to read when I was at my lowest points. The moral of my story is the sun always comes out after the storm. Being optimistic and surrounding yourself with positive loving people is for me, living life on the sunny side of the street. I hope this book brings comfort to others with humor and stories that people can relate to.”
Dean also wrote on social media that she deliberately avoided any talk of politics in her new book. “One promise I can make about my book #mostlysunny: this is a book that has nothing to do with politics. Hopefully that’s a good thing? “The only red and blue colors I see on a map are areas of high and low pressure” #mostlysunny”
2. Janice Dean Has Written a Series of Children’s Books Featuring ‘Freddy the Frogcaster’ & Donated Proceeds to Benefit Hurricane Victims
Janice Dean has been writing children’s books since 2015. Her character, “Freddy the Frogcaster,” teaches children about the weather. Amazon includes in its description, “Freddy the Frogcaster loves learning about the weather, and he’s known for having the best predictions in town.”
The fifth book in the series, “Freddy the Frogcaster and the Flash Flood,” was published in 2017. It was the year of three major hurricanes: Harvey, Irma and Maria. Dean pledged to donate the proceeds from the book to Team Rubicon. It is a group of military veterans that worked to provide disaster relief to those impacted by the devastating hurricanes.
3. Janice Dean Was Diagnosed With Multiple Sclerosis in 2005
One of the issues Janice Dean talks about in her new book is her own health battle. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2005. Dean wrote on Fox News’ website that the diagnosis had been devastating at the time; she feared she’d struggle for the rest of her life. But she now says, “I believe being diagnosed with MS was a blessing in disguise in terms of prioritizing and how I eventually chose to live my life.”
Dean talked about living with MS on FOX & Friends in March of 2018. She shared that some people suggested she hide her diagnosis from her bosses at the network out of concern that it could negatively impact her career. Dean said that she has been relatively lucky over the years, but that she had a significant flare-up in early 2018. Her doctors put her on a more aggressive drug at the time in order to ease her pain.
Through sickness and in health. Thank God I found this person to share my life with. Sean told me early on “This illness doesn’t scare me” #MSAwarenessWeek
Dean shared her experience on social media. She explained that it was important for her to share the journey and talk about how support from friends and family provides such a boost for patients with MS. She mentioned friends including Meghan McCain, co-anchor Ainsley Earhardt and her neighbor Dervla for their support in an editorial.
4. Janice Dean’s Husband, Sean Newman, is a New York City Firefighter & They Have Two Sons
Janice Dean met Sean Newman in December of 2002. They were introduced by mutual friends Lianne Laing and Tony Harris, as Dean explained in an Instagram post. Newman has been with the New York City Fire Department since 1996 and was promoted to Battalion Chief in January of 2019.
The couple tied the knot in 2007. Dean explained in a blog post for Fox News in 2007 that she and Newman ended up having two wedding ceremonies because they felt too crunched for time during the first go-round.
At the time of their engagement, she was taking meteorology classes and he had applied for graduate school, on top of working their full-time jobs. They ended up getting married at City Hall with two witnesses to avoid the stress of trying to plan a wedding.
Fast forward to 2017. Newman suggested they renew their vows in a traditional church ceremony. They had the ceremony on June 9, 2017.
Dean and Newman have two sons, Matthew and Theodore. Matthew was born on January 24, 2009. Little brother Theodore arrived on February 9, 2011.
5. Janice Dean is a Native of Canada & Started Her Career in Ottawa
Janice Dean grew up in Canada and has a little brother named Craig. She shared a photo of the two of them as young children in the backyard.
Dean attended the Algonquin College of Applied Arts in Technology. Her first job in broadcasting was as a morning show co-host and reporter for CHEZ-FM in Ottawa. She moved to New York City in 2002 and worked as an entertainment reporter and news editor for the radio program “IMUS in the Morning.” In 2004, she was offered a job at Fox News.
Dean obtained her meteorology degree from Mississippi State University in 2009, according to her Linkedin profile. She is also a member of the American Meteorological Society.
