Donna Hanover (born Donna Ann Kofnovec; February 15, 1950) is an American journalist, radio and television personality, television producer, and actress, who appears on CUNY TV in New York City. From 1994 through 2001, she was First Lady of New York City, as the wife of Rudy Giuliani. She and Giuliani were married for 18 years, and had two children, Andrew and Caroline.

Early life and education

Hanover was born Donna Ann Kofnovec in Oakland, California, to Catholic parents, Robert G. Kofnovec, a United States Navy officer who retired as a Lieutenant Commander, and his wife, Gwendolyn Dolores (Domas) Kofnovec.

Hanover attended Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, California. She later attended Stanford University, and graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. She met Harvard University graduate Stanley Hanover at Stanford in 1968 and the two were married after her graduation in 1972. The couple moved to New York City. By 1977, she was working in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at KDKA-TV, spending 80-hour weeks hosting and producing their Evening Magazine show; they had no children.

By 1980, Hanover had moved to Miami, Florida; and was the lead anchor for the station's 7:30 pm weeknight newscast for much of the second half of the 1980s. She also appeared on the syndicated The Wall Street Journal Report. By 1997 there were published reports of his having an affair with mayoral aide Cristyne Lategano, and by 2000 with Judith Nathan. Hanover continued her acting work, appearing from 1997 on in episodes of the television series Law & Order in a recurring role as Judge Deborah Bourke, and also appearing on series such as Family Law, The Practice, Sex and the City, and Ally McBeal. Veteran New Yorker contributor Peter J. Boyer asserted that Hanover's acceptance of the role was a "well-struck blow" because Ensler was "an outspoken critic of Giuliani's policies." Before Hanover's debut, she postponed her participation in The Vagina Monologues on May 2 to support her husband a week after it was announced he had prostate cancer. On the evening after announcing his cancer diagnosis, reporters observed Rudy Giuliani having "a romantic dinner" with Judith Nathan, the woman who would be identified as his lover. One week later, at a press conference on May 10, Giuliani announced that he and Hanover were officially separated. Hanover had not been informed and was surprised by the news.

Giuliani filed for divorce in October 2000. Hanover and Giuliani stopped cohabiting at the end of his term in December 2001. Hanover counter filed in June 2002. After ugly public battles between representatives of the two, the divorce was finalized in July 2002 after he left office as Mayor; Hanover was awarded $6.8 million and custody of their two children.

Subsequent life and career

In 2003, Hanover married Edwin Oster, an attorney practicing in Newport Beach, California. The two had dated in high school and in college, but had not spoken with each other for more than 20 years, until after Hanover's divorce from Giuliani. She lives in both New York and California. She did fill-in work for New York radio station WOR for several years, then joined it on a full-time basis in February 2006, working first with co-host Ed Walsh The latter pairing subsequently won an award for best broadcasting team. Hanover also worked as an adjunct professor at New York University's Department of Journalism.

Hanover continued her acting career with appearances in Law & Order through 2004. She was in the films Superstar with Will Ferrell in 1999, Keeping the Faith with Edward Norton in 2000, Someone Like You with Ellen Barkin in 2001, and Interview directed by Steve Buscemi in 2007. Hanover played a Senator opposite John Goodman in an episode of Alpha House in 2014, and appeared in the TV comedy Odd Mom Out in 2015 and 2016. In 2011 she appeared in the off-Broadway initial run of "Picked", written by Chris Shinn and directed by Michael Wilson at The Vineyard Theatre. Hanover made her Broadway debut in 2012 in Gore Vidal's The Best Man, directed by Michael Wilson and also starring James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, John Larroquette, and Candace Bergen. Hanover continues her work as a journalist at CUNY TV which she joined in 2011. As a correspondent on shows including Arts in the City and Simply Science, she has covered wide-ranging topics such as vintage costumer Helen Uffner, a new toilet NASA sent up for astronauts in space, and Broadway shows reopening after the pandemic.

Awards

  • 1980s — Pinnacle Award from American Women in Radio & Television for "Advertising by Plastic Surgeons"

References

  • WOR official biography