Jon Stewart is one of the most powerful voices in political comedy. After becoming a household name as the host of The Daily Show, the comedian, 61, has not shied away from using his celebrity status to both promote political causes he sees as worthy or call out injustices. He’s continued his work in the realm of political comedy with his Apple TV+ series The Problem. Jon left The Daily Show in 2015, but he’s set to return to the show every Monday starting February 12 through the 2024 presidential election.
By his side through much of his career has been his wife Tracey McShane. The comedian and his wife, 56, have been married since 2000, and they’re still going strong over two decades later. Find out everything you need to know about Tracey and her marriage to Jon here.
How did Jon and Tracey meet?
Jon revealed that he was first set up on a blind date to meet his wife while working on the film Wishful Thinking. He said a crew member had suggested her roommate (who happened to be Tracey) in a 2002 interview on Larry King Live. “I was shooting something in lower Manhattan, and a woman that was working on the set said, “I know this girl who I think you would very much like.” And the way she described her was in such glowing terms, I thought, well, I’d be a jackass not to go out with this woman. So I called her. And what happened was, I wrote her number on a dollar bill,” he said.
The comedian revealed he’d spent the dollar on a pack of cigarettes, but he got the crew member’s phone number from the call sheet. He called her and revealed that they connected instantly. “When you know you really think someone’s nice. But I have a tendency when I’m nervous to talk a lot, and she has a tendency when she’s nervous not to talk,” he quipped.
Jon proposed via crossword puzzle
As one of the most thought-provoking comedians around, it should come as no surprise that when Jon popped the question to Tracey, he had a very clever idea. He recruited New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz, who helped him come up with a puzzle to eventually propose, per The Los Angeles Times. Even after proposing, he revealed that they still like doing the crossword together. “My wife and I — aside from the fact that we own a production company together and have two small children — believe it or not, doing crossword puzzles is a real bond for us. It is a constant reminder that I am married to a very smart woman,” he said.
They co-founded an animal sanctuary
Crosswords aren’t the only things that Tracey and Jon love. Tracey has a strong passion for animals, so much so that the couple co-founded an animal sanctuary in New Jersey. The Hey Friend Foundation operates the private Hockhockson Farm, which serves as a sanctuary for animals in need.
The Hey Friend Foundation helps with other community-based needs, including nutrition. ” Our mission is to unite community leaders and other like-minded organizations to better serve communities in need and alleviate nutrition insecurity. Together we can facilitate interest and access to healthy, sustainable, and kind food options,” the organization says on its website.
She’s a writer and former vet tech
Aside from co-founding the sanctuary, Tracey has had a wide range of interesting jobs. She revealed that she had studied design and started her career in that field in a 2015 interview on NPR’s Fresh Air. She revealed that her husband had suggested she give something new a try. “He knew that I always wanted to be a veterinarian when I was young and he had suggested to me that I go back to school for that,” she said. “It was the best job I ever had and I truly loved that job.”
Aside from her time as a vet tech, she was also the founder of the now-defunct Moomah Magazine. She’s also a published author of the book Do Unto Animals, which is also her Instagram handle. It’s clear that Tracey’s love of animals has affected so much of her work.
Tracey and Jon have two kids
Along with their work together, Tracey and Jon are also both loving parents to two teenage kids. The pair welcomed their son Nathan Thomas Stewart, 19, in 2004, and they had their daughter Maggie Rose Stewart, 17, in 2006.