Facebook/@RealTrishRegan Fox Business anchor Trish Regan and husband James Ben
James Anthony Ben has been married to former Fox News anchor Trish Regan since 2001. The couple has three young children.
Regan joined the network in 2015 and hosted the evening program Trish Regan Primetime on the Fox Business Network. But it was announced on March 27, 2020, that the network was letting Regan go.
The decision came weeks after Regan made headlines for a controversial monologue about the coronavirus. She claimed Democrats were blaming President Donald Trump, “him and only him,” for the coronavirus in “yet another attempt to impeach the President.” The on-screen graphic read, “Coronavirus Impeachment Scam.” Critics responded that while Democrats have expressed disapproval of the White House’s response, they do not blame the president for the virus. Four days later, Fox Business announced Regan’s program was going on hiatus. She explained on Twitter the decision was made to “limit staffing levels” to keep employees safe amid the outbreak.
We’ve reached a tipping point. The chorus of hate being leveled at #PresidentTrump is nearing a crescendo as #Dems blame him—and only him—for #coronavirus – a #virus that originated halfway around the world! This is yet another attempt to #impeach THE PRESIDENT. #TrishRegan
Despite his wife’s role in the spotlight, James Ben keeps a lower profile. Regan sometimes posts photos of the two of them together, but Ben is not an active social media user.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. James Ben & Trish Regan Met At Her Cousin’s Wedding & He Popped the Question Six Months Later
Trish Regan and James Ben grew up in close proximity to each other but did not meet until adulthood. Regan told Fox News Insider that Ben played high school basketball with one of her cousins and spent a few holidays with that part of the family. Regan said she’s glad they didn’t meet as teenagers “because I was a 13-year-old kid in braces!”
Ben and Regan were finally introduced at that same cousin’s wedding. Regan said she “knew right away that this was the person I would marry.”
Based on Regan’s Facebook page, this event took place in 1997. She wrote in December 2017, “Thank you to the love of my life— my husband, James, for being there 1000% for me on my birthday and, most importantly, all 364 other days of the year… for the last TWENTY years! I love you with all my heart.”
Ben proposed about six months after they met. They tied the knot on August 26, 2001.
2. Ben Played College Basketball In New Hampshire & Professionally In Europe
Trish Regan and husband James Ben
James Anthony Ben attended the University of New Hampshire for college and also played basketball there. According to the school’s roster, Ben played in 82 games between 1988 and 1992. Sports-Reference lists his height as 6’8″ and that his position was forward.
Trish Regan referenced her husband’s height in a November 2019 Facebook post. She commented on a picture of the two of them standing side-by-side, ” In anticipation of questions – I’m actually quite tall. My husband is just REALLY tall.” She added that Ben played professional basketball in Europe, but did not specify exactly when he played or for how long.
Ben likely competed overseas after graduating from college in 1992. But according to his LinkedIn page, he returned to the United States in 1994 to attend law school. He earned a law degree from the University of Miami in 1997.
3. James Ben Is an Investment Banker & Worked at Lehman Brothers Before The Bank Collapsed
LinkedInJames Ben
James Ben pursued a legal career for about three years after graduating from law school. But he shifted his focus to investment banking in 2000. According to his LinkedIn profile, Ben went to work for Lehman Brothers that year as a Managing Director. He stayed there for eight years. The bank collapsed in 2008, triggering the Great Recession.
Ben landed on his feet, quickly transitioning to a new job at Barclays. He was mentioned as one of three senior bankers who left Barclays in August 2013 for new roles at Rothschild & Co, an investment bank and financial services company. Ben is the head of mergers and acquisitions for North America at the bank.
4. Ben & Regan Sold Their New York City Apartment In 2018 & Relocated to Connecticut
James Ben and Trish Regan are both based in New York City for the jobs, but their home life is now centered in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Regan explained to the CT Post that she and Ben tested out a potential move by renting a weekend home and taking their three children. “They started begging us to stay… It is so, frankly, normal for me to say, ‘Kids go out and play.’ That’s the way I grew up.”
Regan told Serendipity magazine that coastal Connecticut also reminded her and Ben of their hometowns in New Hampshire. “My husband and I both grew up in the country so this really feels like home.” According to Realtor.com, Ben and Regan bought their Westport home for more than $4.3 million. It has 5 bedrooms and more than 8,000 square feet of living space.
Ben and Regan sold their Manhattan home, located along Fifth Avenue in the Upper East Side, in October 2018. According to Variety, the couple originally purchased the 2,500 square foot apartment in 2014 for slightly under $4 million. They renovated the home and sold it for $5.625 million.
5. Regan Says Ben Rearranged His Schedule For Family Time With Their Three Children After She Started Hosting Her Primetime Show
James Ben and Trish Regan have three young children. Twins Elizabeth and Alexandra were born in 2010. Their son, born in 2013, was named after his father: Jamie.
Regan told PEOPLE in 2018 that when she began hosting her 8 p.m. program on Fox Business, husband Ben rearranged his schedule in order to fit in quality family time. “We used to do family dinner every night at 6:00 at the table. Now we have family breakfast.”
Regan also gushed about her husband in an interview with Evie magazine in May 2019. “I also have a tremendously supportive husband. He’s the kind of husband for today’s women who, if I never wanted to work again and be a mom, he’d say, ‘go for it.’ If I loved my job, he’d say, ‘go for it.'”
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