If you spent any time watching cable news between 2010 and 2016, you definitely know the face. Andrea Tantaros was everywhere. She was a powerhouse on Fox News, co-hosting The Five and later Outnumbered. She had that rare mix of sharp political instincts and a conversational style that made her the "It Girl" of conservative media.
Then, she just... vanished.
Honestly, it’s one of the most abrupt disappearances in modern media history. One day she’s debating policy in front of millions, and the next, she’s essentially a ghost in the industry. If you’re wondering what does Andrea Tantaros do for a living today, the answer isn't as straightforward as a LinkedIn update. She hasn't returned to a major network, and she isn't hosting a chart-topping podcast.
The Career That Was: From Capitol Hill to Prime Time
To understand what she’s doing now, you have to look at what she was doing before the world stopped hearing from her. Tantaros didn't just fall into television. She was a political operative first.
Basically, she spent years in the trenches of Washington D.C. She worked as a press secretary on Capitol Hill and served in senior communications roles for big-name politicians like Governor Bill Weld and Congressman Pat Toomey. She even had a stint at CNN’s Crossfire as an intern and worked for Richard Wirthlin, a pollster for Ronald Reagan.
💡 You might also like: Selena Gomez Belly Button: What Really Happened with Her Health and Scars
By the time she landed at Fox News in 2010, she was a seasoned pro. She wasn't just a "talking head"; she was a media strategist. In fact, she ran her own firm, Andrea Tantaros Media, which advised Fortune 500 companies on crisis management. It’s ironic, given the massive legal and PR crisis that would eventually define her own career.
The 2016 Breakup and the Legal Maze
Everything changed in April 2016. Fox News pulled her off the air, claiming she violated her contract by publishing her book, Tied Up in Knots, without the network’s explicit blessing.
Tantaros hit back. Hard.
She filed a lawsuit alleging a culture of systemic sexual harassment. She didn't hold back, describing the network as a "Playboy Mansion-like cult." This was right in the middle of the massive shakeup involving Roger Ailes and Gretchen Carlson. While other women settled and moved on, Tantaros’s legal battle became incredibly complex. She later filed another lawsuit claiming she was being stalked and that her electronics were hacked via a "sock-puppet" social media campaign designed to "emotionally torture" her.
Fox News denied all of it. They called her an "opportunist" and a "wannabe." The courts eventually pushed much of this into private arbitration, which is basically a black hole for public information.
So, What Does Andrea Tantaros Do for a Living Now?
In 2026, Andrea Tantaros lives a remarkably private life in New York City. She hasn't sought out a new seat at a news desk.
Most people assume she’s still working in the world of high-level consulting. Remember, her background is in crisis management and media strategy. When you have her level of experience—working for the GOP leadership, running a successful Manhattan firm, and navigating the highest levels of media—those skills don't just disappear.
🔗 Read more: Kelsey Barnard Clark: Why Public Life Is Never What It Seems
Private consulting for corporations or political figures is a very lucrative "invisible" career. It pays well, and more importantly for someone who has been through the meat grinder of public lawsuits, it stays out of the headlines.
There are also the residuals and potential settlements. While the exact details of her legal conclusions are often sealed, high-profile departures of her caliber frequently involve financial arrangements that allow for a comfortable lifestyle without the need for a 9-to-5 job.
- Public Speaking: She was once a staple on the speaking circuit, though this has quieted down significantly.
- Writing: She is a published author. While Tied Up in Knots was the center of a legal storm, she still holds the credentials of a political columnist.
- Strategic Advising: This is the most likely "day job." People with her resume are often paid six or seven figures to stay behind the scenes and tell powerful people how to talk to the press.
Why She Hasn't Made a Comeback
You’d think a conservative firebrand with a built-in audience would just start a YouTube channel or join a platform like Newsmax or Rumble.
But Tantaros’s exit was different.
👉 See also: How Tall is Penn of Penn and Teller: Why the Magic Giant Looks Even Bigger
The legal battles weren't just about harassment; they were about the very nature of her contract. When you get into a war with a major network, the "non-compete" clauses and legal "hush" agreements can be incredibly restrictive. Sometimes, the price of a settlement or even just the end of a lawsuit is an agreement to stay out of the spotlight for a set number of years.
Also, let's be real: after claiming you were hacked and stalked by your former employer, you might just be done with the industry. The "sad reason" you don't see her on TV anymore, as some commentators put it, is likely a mix of legal constraints and a personal choice to reclaim her privacy.
The Transition to a Private Expert
Tantaros is a graduate of Lehigh University and studied at the University of Paris. She’s fluent in Greek, French, and Spanish. She was always more "academic" and "strategic" than the average cable news host.
If you're looking for her on Twitter (X) or Instagram, you're going to find a lot of silence or old posts. She has effectively "de-platformed" herself. This is a deliberate move. In an age where everyone is fighting for a "like," there is a certain power—and a living to be made—in being the person who knows where the bodies are buried but chooses to keep the shovel in the garage.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you're following the career of someone like Tantaros, or if you're interested in the media landscape, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Watch the Arbitration: Most major media disputes now end in private arbitration. If a celebrity vanishes, it’s usually because a lawyer told them that silence is the only way to get paid.
- Consulting is the "Hidden" Career: If a former TV star is still living in a high-rise in Manhattan but isn't on TV, they are almost certainly doing B2B (business-to-business) consulting.
- Skills Over Fame: Tantaros’s ability to navigate D.C. and NYC media is a skillset that is valuable regardless of whether she’s in front of a camera. If you want career longevity, develop a "behind-the-scenes" skill that works even if your "on-screen" persona is retired.
Andrea Tantaros may not be co-hosting The Five anymore, but she remains a case study in how the "It Girls" of the 2010s navigated the messy, pre-Me-Too era of cable news. She traded the teleprompter for a life of private influence.