By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-04-02 14:21:40 | Updated at 2025-04-03 13:23:14
23 hours ago
NewsNation anchor Leland Vittert revealed on the air Tuesday that he has autism and that he was diagnosed with the condition as a child.
The 42-year-old former Fox host made the revelation while discussing his new book Born Lucky. The book surrounds his relationship with his father, whom he credits for his success.
Aside from his upbringing, Born Lucky will cover his diagnosis in-depth, Vittert said - and how he overcame it. Vittert has since emerged as a beloved on-air talent, covering things like the George Floyd protests and other important events.
He first gave a nod to having autism on Father's Day, in an essay he penned in honor of his dad, Mark Vittert. There, he mentioned having grown up 'on the Asperger’s/autism spectrum'.
The book, however, is set to expand on that, and is set to release in September, Vittert said.
It is posed as a 'love letter from a grateful son who, despite his autism, trusted his father and defied all odds,' and a potential source of inspiration for others.
Speaking to viewers about it on the set his show 'On Balance', Vittert made the disclosure. He started by teasing: 'We promised you a big announcement today, and here it goes.'
'[My book is about] growing up with what we now know as autism.'
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NewsNation anchor Leland Vittert revealed on the air Tuesday that he is autistic, during a deeply personal monologue on his show On Balance
Vittert, 42, made the admission while discussing his new book Born Lucky, which discusses his relationship with his father, whom he credits for his success
'[It's] about giving hope to tens of millions of parents whose kids are struggling every day,' he went on. 'Not just with autism, but ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, bullying, and the difficulties of growing up.'
What followed was a surprising glimpse into the correspondent's childhood, over the course of which Vittert said his father 'sacrificed everything' to ensure his success.
'He was my only friend, my protector, cheerleader, and harshest critic,' he said, before revealing how his father stopped his career following his diagnosis.
'[A] child psychologist told my parents I have the condition that we now know is autism. I always will,' Vittert said.
'I didn’t talk until I was three,' he went on. 'My middle school principal told my parents I was, quote, weird.
'Among many problems, it led to bullying. Of course, I had no friends.'
This was four decades ago in Illinois, where he endured obstacles such as isolation, bullying, and more.
He made clear the book is less a look into him and more of a tribute to his still alive father, a journalist who helped start the St. Louis Business Journal in 1982 and similar publications in other cities.
He made clear the book is less a look into him and more of a tribute to his still alive father, a journalist who helped start the St. Louis Business Journal in 1982 before giving it up to devote himself to his son and sculpting him into a man
A host on Fox News for more than a decade, Vittert credits his success to his father and his upbringing
'[It's] about giving hope to tens of millions of parents whose kids are struggling every day,' he said of Born Luck, set to release in September
It was around that time Mark Vittert 'dropped everything' to be with his son, Vittert said.
He framed the decision as one that made him into the man he is today. 'He became my best friend for a long time,' he said.
'He knew the world wouldn't change for me, so he had to change me for the world,' the anchor went on.
'This is that story. He sold his company, stopped his career, and dedicated the next 18 years of his life to helping me.
'[He[ decided pushups would whip my seven-year-old body into shape that no schoolyard bully would dare mess with.
'And soon he had me doing 200 a day, unable to read social cues.
'He would take me to dinner, and when I became too loud or off rhythm with his friends or adults at the table, he would casually just tap his watch.
'That was my signal to stop talking.'
He recalled tests the pegged his IQ as being somewhere between 'genius... to mentally retarded on others.'
'Not just with autism, but ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, bullying, and the difficulties of growing up'
'This is the love story of a father who sacrificed everything, gave so much he doesn't like the word sacrifice to help his son,' Vittert said, 'I've never talked about this before with anybody, but it's time to say thank you'. The book is available for preorder now
'[It] would have gotten me significant special treatment that was quite in vogue during the late 80s and 90s,' the former Fox News host said.
'Dad knew a cruel world after high school would not make such accommodations, and he was right.
'He was my only friend, my protector, cheerleader and harshest critic.
'Those lessons took me from a kid who could barely talk and didn't understand basic social interaction to the White House North Lawn, the battlefields of the Middle East, and now the anchor desk of two networks,' Vittert said.
'This is the love story of a father who sacrificed everything, gave so much he doesn't like the word sacrifice to help his son, and how, with a lot of love, hard work and unyielding standards, you anybody doesn't have to be defined by a diagnosis.
'I've never talked about this before with anybody, but it's time to say thank you to my dad,' he added later on. 'The book comes out September 30, and I would be honored if you'd come on this journey with me.'
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that is also classified as a disability.
Autistic people may struggle to read social cues and become overwhelmed in places that are busy or loud, or if their daily routine is altered.
Autism is a spectrum with some diagnoses more serious than others.
But the condition can also confer genius-levels of intelligence, with Albert Einstein and Elon Musk among the most high-profile autistic people in history.
Preorders are available on sites like Amazon now.
