Harvey Levin

Harvey Robert Levin (born September 2, 1950 ) is an American television producer, legal analyst, journalist, and lawyer. He founded the celebrity news website TMZ in 2005 and later briefly served as the host of OBJECTified (2016–present), which aired on the Fox News Channel.

Early life and education Levin was born September 2, 1950, in Los Angeles County, California, to a Jewish family. He attended high school at Grover Cleveland High School in Reseda, Los Angeles, and graduated in 1968 with honors. Levin attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he graduated with a B.A. in political science in 1972. He later attended the University of Chicago Law School and graduated with a J.D. in 1975.

Career Early law career and academia Levin was an active attorney in California for two decades, from December 18, 1975, until January 1, 1996. He then practiced law briefly in Los Angeles before taking a position at Whittier College School of Law.

In 1978, Levin came to public attention following a series of high-profile debates with Howard Jarvis, the co-author of Proposition 13, California's controversial property tax-reduction ballot measure, which Levin opposed. With his newfound fame, Levin began to contribute legal advice on a radio show, where he was nicknamed "Doctor Law", as well as to write columns for the Los Angeles Times. He created Famous in 12 (2014), an experiment in exploiting a family for quick fame, but the show was canceled after less than one season, with only five of the scheduled twelve episodes having aired. quote box quote=This is not television. It's rawer, it's urgent, it's less produced. I really think this is the future. People want to get what they can get on-demand, and they have as much access to a computer as they do a TV set. source= —Levin in a 2005 interview with Television Week The website quickly rose to prominence when it broke the story of Mel Gibson's DUI arrest and subsequent antisemitic rant.

Harvey Levin Productions has produced Levin's media projects since he joined The People's Court in 1983 as the show's legal consultant. The Library Journal "recommended [the book] for public libraries." He discussed his fear of losing his career if someone were to find out, which led to Levin compartmentalizing his personal and professional lives.

Levin's longtime partner is Andy Mauer, a chiropractor in Southern California. The two own multiple properties together, sharing joint-deed listings since the late 1990s and early 2000s. He has since been named No. 25 in 2013, No. 34 in 2014, No. 48 in 2015, and No. 40 in 2016.

Levin supported Donald Trump in the run-up to the 2016 United States presidential election. Following the election, he met with Trump in the Oval Office on March 7, 2017, and chatted for an hour. However, by August 2018, he distanced himself from Trump over the president's repeated attempts to establish a transgender military ban. He became an increasingly vocal opponent of Trump in the years following.

Filmography Volcano (1997) – Reporter Celebrity Justice – Host TMZ (2005 to present) – Himself Family Guy S-8 Ep-14 (2010) – "Peter-assment"

Books The People's Court: How to Tell it to the Judge (1985)

Awards and honors For his broadcast work, Levin has been nominated for nine Emmys.