Valentine’s Day can be a pretty polarizing holiday. Being single at that time of year can make everyone else’s celebrations of love annoying, and even for those who do have people to celebrate with — be it a significant other or a group of friends — February 14 can seem over-commercialized. However, for those going through a split, probably the last thing you want to hear about is flowers, candy hearts and romantic dinners, and one Fox News anchor had no qualms about sharing her expletive-filled opinion on the holiday, as she announced on air that she and her husband were going through a divorce.
Julie Banderas, who’s worked at Fox News since 2005, shared her honest thoughts about the upcoming heart-filled holiday. On the February 9 episode of the network’s late-night show Gutfeld!, host Greg Gutfeld asked Banderas if she was expecting to get anything for Valentine’s Day, to which she flatly responded (via Daily Mail):
Fuck Valentine's Day. Yeah, it's stupid. I mean, even when I was married I didn't get shit for Valentine's Day. Well, I'm getting a divorce, I'm going to go ahead and say it right here for the very first time. Thank you, everyone. Congratulations are in order. If you know me, you'd clap. That was breaking news, right there.
Julie Banderas, who married her estranged husband Andrew Sansone in 2009, laughed as she assured her colleagues and the studio audience that the end of her marriage was a good thing, and applause was fine. She may have made peace with whatever’s going on at home, but I’d keep the stuffed animals away from her come Tuesday.
According to the 18-year Fox News employee, even in the happier times of her marriage, Valentine’s Day apparently wasn’t an occasion worth celebrating to the couple, as she told Greg Gutfeld she “didn’t get shit” in past years either. Maybe that was part of the reason she seemed so excited to go public with her news, as ahead of Thursday’s broadcast, Julie Banderas teased the big divorce announcement on Twitter:
Tune into @Gutfeldfox tonight at 11pm ET. I have a little announcement at the end of the show. (During the Valentines Day segment ironically) pic.twitter.com/XVqLzfClUrFebruary 10, 2023
Her humor with the situation remained intact the next day, as she showed love for her friends and their twisted sense of humor:
I love my friends lol pic.twitter.com/CyhjhWXAc7February 10, 2023
The anchor’s announcement may not have been on live TV, but it did hearken back to some other unexpected news moments, including the Alaskan newsperson who said on live television, “Fuck it, I quit,” before walking off the set. And as traumatic as the end of a marriage can be, Julie Banderas’ situation was arguably less painful than getting hit by a car on live TV and less cringy than getting licked on the neck during a broadcast.
Valentine’s Day may not be for everybody, but if you are in the mood for love, check out our list of the best romantic comedies of all time, or catch one of the multiple options for a happy and romantic movie available to stream with a Netflix subscription.
