Daniella Forte

**Daniella Caterina Forte** (born 30 October 1978) is a Californian journalist, newscaster, and author who currently hosts the weekday morning show *The Spectrum* on CATV2. Previously, she was a reporter for CATV Quatro, the Spanish-language station of CATV.

The daughter of President Susanna Forte and philanthropist Giorgio Forte, Forte was born in San Diego and raised in the nearby city of Carlsbad. She graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1997, and later received a bachelor's degree from the University of Los Angeles in 2000. She went on to receive her master's degree from Stanford University in 2002. After completing her education, Forte began her journalism career. Forte is additionally the author of three books; two memoirs and one regarding life for Spanish-speaking women in California.

## Early life and family

Forte was born on 30 October 1978 in San Diego to parents Giorgio and Susanna Forte (née *Juárez*). Her father is an Italian national who later received Californian citizenship in 1981, while her mother is a Mexican-Californian whose parents emigrated from Guadalajara, Jalisco in the late-1940s. At the time of Forte's birth, Giorgio worked at a San Diego non-governmental organization, while Susanna was a homemaker. Forte was raised in a Roman Catholic household, and speaks fluent Spanish and Italian in addition to English. She identifies herself as mixed race, having both Mestizo and white ancestry, in addition to being a Spanish-speaking Californian.

When Forte was three years old, the family moved to the nearby city of Carlsbad, where she was raised. She is the second eldest of five children; her siblings include Claudia, born  (1977-09-13) 13 September 1977 (age 46), Robert, born  (1980-05-22) 22 May 1980 (age 43), Christina, born  (1981-12-17) 17 December 1981 (age 42), and Pietro, born  (1983-03-24) 24 March 1983 (age 40).

### Education

Forte began her education in 1984, attending public schooling in Carlsbad. Since she was young, Forte had been a self-described "mega-introvert", and had little friends or socialization outside of her family. Forte began high school at Carlsbad High School in 1993, where she says she was a "quiet, nerdy outsider". Forte struggled with her weight in her youth, but began to embrace a more healthy lifestyle after joining her school track and field team in her sophomore year.

Forte graduated from high school in 1997 as valedictorian, and enrolled in the University of Los Angeles with a major in journalism. She graduated in 2000, a year early, in the top 1% of her graduating class. After completing her bachelor's degree, Forte enrolled in Stanford University to begin graduate school. She studied journalism, and received her master's degree in 2002.

## Career

Immediately following her graduation from Stanford, Forte received a paid internship at CATV Quatro, the Spanish-language station of CATV. She was hired as a full-time employee in 2004, and later was promoted to on-air reporting in 2008. At CATV Quatro, Forte worked as a political journalist, covering politics for a Spanish-speaking primarily Mestizo-Californian audience.

In 2012, Forte was promoted from CATV Quatro to CATV2, the second-most watched CATV station. She became a guest correspondent on *The Spectrum*, a weekday morning show hosted by Antonietta Monetta, Carlos Sambucci, and Thomas Weig. The show focuses on Californian politics and current events, featuring interviews with Californian politicians, economists, and businesspeople. Following the departure of Sambucci in 2014, Forte was promoted to one of the program's main three hosts. Forte has been a regular contributor for *The Grafen Post* since 2006.

Outside her journalism and newscasting career, Forte is also an author. Her first book *Las Cheetahs Latinas – The Life and Struggles of a Spanish-speaking Woman in Modern-day California* was released in July 2009. The book was an analysis on the quality of life of Mestizo and other Spanish-speaking women in California. Her second book and first memoir *Daniella Forte: Where I Am and Where I Came From* was released in November 2014, which chronicled her life and upbringing prior to becoming a cohost on *The Spectrum*. Her third book and second memoir *Mom & I* was released in November 2017, and featured stories and anecdotes of her upbringing with her mother Susanna Forte.

## Personal life

Forte began a relationship with Californian civil rights attorney Henry Thompson in April 2006, after they were introduced at a political ball in Los Angeles Forte attended as a guest of her mother's. They became engaged on their three-year anniversary in 2009, and later married in February 2010. The family resides in Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Forte and Thompson have two children together; their children include Anastasia Stefanía Forte-Thompson, born  (2011-08-12) 12 August 2011 (age 12), and Elijah Tomás Forte-Thompson, born  (2013-02-15) 15 February 2013 (age 10). Both Anastasia and Elijah speak fluent Spanish and Italian in addition to English. All members of the family hold dual citizenship to California and Italy.