Chris Hansen biography: 13 things about ‘To Catch a Predator’ host, Michigan State University alum

Professionally known as Chris Hansen, Christopher Edward Hansen is a television journalist. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States to William “Bill” Hansen and Patricia Considine Hansen.

Before living in Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA, Chris lived in Stamford, Connecticut, USA, in Buckeye, Arizona, USA, in New York City, New York, USA and in Michigan, USA, particularly in Birmingham and Clarkston. He has two sisters namely Karen Hansen Conway and Amy Hansen Dietrick.

Chris is 6’2″ tall. Here are 13 more things about him:

1. In 1977, he graduated from Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
2. In 1981, he became a reporter for NBC affiliate WILX in Lansing, Michigan and graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications.  
3. In 1988, he was hired as an investigative reporter and anchor at WDIV in Detroit, Michigan. He was a correspondent for “Now with Tom Brokaw and Katie Couric,” which aired on NBC from 1993 to 1994.
4. On November 18, 1989, he and Mary Joan Gleich Hansen got married. He was 30 years old while she was 32 at the time. She gave birth to their first child Chase W. Hansen in 1992 and to their second child Connor R. Hansen in 1994.
5. In 1995, he played a speaker in a “Touched by an Angel” episode. He appeared as himself in a “30 Rock” episode in 2006, in a “Black-ish” episode in 2016 and in “The Boys” episode in 2020.
6. In 1999, his father passed away.
7. He hosted “To Catch a Predator” from 2004 to 2007 and “Crime Watch Daily” from 2016 to 2018. Originally intended to premiere online, the “To Catch a Predator” spin-off “Hansen vs. Predator” was a recurring segment on “Crime Watch Daily.”
8. In July 2013, a photo of him kissing his then mistress Kristyn Caddell surfaced. In August 2013, NBC did not renew its contract with him.
9. In 2015, American Express filed a complaint claiming that he owed the company $57,931.72 for overdue charges on his card. In the same year, he tried to raise $400,00 for “Hansen vs. Predator” via Kickstarter but by September 2016, he only raised $89,000. As part of the campaign, he offered promotional memorabilia, which donors claimed to have never received. In 2017, he ordered $12,998.05 worth of promotional items from Promotional Sales Limited and paid with a bad check. In 2018, he wrote a second check that also bounced.
10. In May 2018, a court order said his house in Stamford was the subject of a strict foreclosure with an outstanding debt of $1,074,689.73. In the same month, Ally Financial filed paperwork claiming he borrowed more than $65,000 to buy a 2014 Corvette convertible and in November 2017, he started defaulting on his monthly $1,162.08 payment. On June 5, 2018, Mary filed for divorce. In August 2018, he paid rent for his apartment in Manhattan, New York City but was $400 short. He did not pay his $3,600 monthly rent in September 2018 so in November 2018, his landlord filed paperwork to have him evicted.
11. On January 10, 2019, he was officially evicted and was given 10 days to vacate. On January 14, 2019, he was arrested in Stamford and was charged with larceny, which was later dropped.
12. He was accused of harassing an individual on February 5, 2020. He was charged with harassment in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA on February 28, 2020, the same day his mother passed away in Naperville, Illinois. In May 2020, Mary appeared in several videos in his YouTube channel. He assisted the Shiawassee and Genessee County Sheriff’s Department with a sting operation that led to the arrests of Michael Lott and two other men who sought to meet up with underage girls in October 2020.
13. On July 1, 2021, he skipped court in Michigan so an arrest warrant was field for him regarding footage he obtained during the sting operation with the Shiawassee and Genessee County Sheriff’s Department in October 2020. Represented by Clint Perryman, he appeared before a judge on July 2, 2021 and was given 14 days to produce the unedited footage of the sting to the defense attorney for Lott.