Harvey Levin
Harvey Levin is an American television producer and celebrity reporter who co-founded the entertainment news outlet TMZTMZTMZ is an American entertainment and celebrity news outlet founded in 2005 by Harvey Levin and Jim Paratore, known for the TMZ.com website and its television programs; it published reports including Mel Gibson’s arrest, Michael Jackson’s death, and the Ray Rice elevator video, and has also corrected erroneous reports several times. In 2021, FOX Entertainment acquired TMZ from WarnerMedia.Open the full entry with Jim Paratore in 2005 and has hosted several TMZ television programs; earlier, the law-trained journalist worked as a television legal reporter and hosted The People’s Court.
Contents16 sections
Key facts
1975Earns Law Degree
Levin received a B.A. in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago in 1975.[1]
While in a political science master’s program in Madison, Wisconsin, he applied to law schools and was admitted after calling Dean of Admissions Dick Badger during a layover.[2]
Early 1980sEnters Television News
In the early 1980s, he began working in television at KNBC in Los Angeles.[3]
1990sLegal Reporter at KCBS-TV
He spent about a decade doing investigative reporting at KCBS-TV, including coverage of the O.J. Simpson murder trial.[4]
1998Hosts The People’s Court
He later moved to New York to work as a legal analyst for the revival of The People’s Court and became the show’s host in 1998.[1]
2002–2005Celebrity Justice
From 2002 to 2005, he was the creator and executive producer of the television program Celebrity Justice.[1]
2005Founds TMZ
In 2005, he founded TMZ, named after the “thirty-mile zone” around Hollywood studios.[3]
He recalled that AOLAOLAOL is an American internet brand offering a news portal, email, and membership services. Its history dates to an online-services company founded in 1985.Open the full entry and Warner Bros. were planning to start a website; he initially dismissed the idea but later saw its potential as a news operation.[4]
Since 2007Hosts TMZ Television Programs
Programs he has hosted include TMZ on TV, launched in 2007; TMZ Live, launched in 2012; Objectified, from 2016 to 2017; and TMZ Investigates: Tiger King in 2020.[3]
October 2010Speaks at His Law School
Speaking at the University of Chicago Law School, he said that even though he does not practice, “there isn’t an hour that goes by when I don’t use what I learned here.”[2]
2015On His Newsroom Approach
He said he tells staff that the key to the job is “looking for 10 ways around the word no.”[4]
February 2016New Yorker Profile
The New Yorker published a long profile of Levin by Nicholas Schmidle, covering the early journalism and legal background of the Jewish native of Reseda, California.[5]
September 13, 2021Joins FOX Entertainment With TMZ
After FOX Entertainment acquired TMZ, Levin, its founder and managing editor, continued to run daily operations, reporting to Rob Wade; he said, “We couldn’t be more charged.”[6]
September 11, 2025Apologizes for TMZ Livestream Incident
He and producer Charles Latibeaudiere apologized after cheering was heard during a TMZ livestream.[7]
April 2026Takes TMZ Into Politics
After TMZ set up its Washington team, Levin called the decision to focus on politics “honestly… very spontaneous” and said he planned to build a full-time Washington team.[8]
As of October 2026: TMZ Executive Producer
He is listed as executive producer on TMZ.com’s staff page.[9]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
TMZ: Official website: https://www.tmz.com/ (opens in a new window)[9]
Sources
- Harvey Levin '75, "How to Use a Law Degree to Start a Business and Make It Successful" (opens in a new window)
- Harvey Levin, '75, of TMZ Tells Students Why His JD Matters (opens in a new window)
- Harvey Levin (opens in a new window)
- Advice From the Pros (opens in a new window)
- The Celebrity Whisperer (opens in a new window)
- FOX Entertainment To Acquire TMZ Properties From WarnerMedia (opens in a new window)
- TMZ apologizes for 'tone deaf' laughter heard in newsroom during Kirk's assassination (opens in a new window)
- TMZ Is Officially in DC—Wait, What? (opens in a new window)
- About TMZ.com (opens in a new window)