If you’ve always suspected that Fox News host Jesse Watters moved surprisingly quickly from wife number one to wife number two, you’re not wrong — and the timeline suggests more than just a hasty rebound. The conservative political commentator finalized his divorce from his first wife, Noelle Inguagiato, in March 2019, and by the end of that same year, he had already tied the knot with a new partner, Emma Watters.
To most observers, this seemed unusually fast. And that’s because it likely was. By Watters’ own admission, his relationship with Emma — formerly Emma DiGiovine, his associate producer at Fox News — started well before his divorce was finalized. In fact, Watters appears to have pursued her while still married.
In a now-notorious anecdote shared on-air during a broadcast of The Five, Watters proudly told the story of how he first got Emma’s attention:
“When I was trying to get Emma to date me, the first thing I did was let the air out of her tires. She couldn’t go anywhere; she needed a lift. I said, ‘Hey, you need a lift?’ She hopped right in,” he said with a grin.
The story, meant as a humorous anecdote, raised concerns for many viewers and critics. While some brushed it off as an awkward attempt at courtship, others were unsettled by the intentional manipulation — especially in the context of an employer-employee relationship, and especially given that Watters was already married at the time.
What Jesse left out in his lighthearted retelling was a critical fact: he was still in a marital relationship with Noelle Inguagiato when this occurred. His new partner, Emma, was also 14 years younger and working beneath him in a professional capacity.
Watters met Noelle at Fox News, where she worked in marketing. The two married in 2009 and went on to have twin daughters. As Jesse’s career with Fox News blossomed, Noelle left the workforce to focus on raising their children. Their life — at least on social media — appeared picture-perfect.
However, in October 2017, Noelle filed for divorce after reportedly discovering Jesse’s affair with DiGiovine. Watters later scheduled a meeting with Fox News’ human resources team in November 2017, where he disclosed the relationship. The network’s response was telling: while Emma was transferred to a different show, Watters faced no professional repercussions.
A Fox spokesperson later confirmed the move:
“Management met with both parties, and a decision was made for the woman to be transferred to work on another program on the network, where she currently remains.”
The timeline has led many to believe that Watters and DiGiovine’s relationship began long before the legal end of his first marriage — a belief further supported by the quick transition from divorce to remarriage in less than a year.
What some found particularly jarring was that Jesse posted a glowing Valentine’s Day tribute to Noelle on Facebook in the same year the affair came to light. The contradiction between his public image and private conduct intensified public scrutiny and added to the sense of betrayal his first wife must have felt.
Still, the origins of their relationship — and the power imbalance it involved — remain a source of controversy. For many, it’s not just about the speed of the transition but about the ethics behind it. Jesse Watters’ personal story serves as a modern media case study of blurred lines, workplace boundaries, and how public figures craft — and sometimes manipulate — their own narratives.
