Donna Hanover - First Lady of New York City

First Lady of New York City

In 1993 she actively campaigned for her husband during his successful campaign for Mayor, appearing in his television ads as a devoted wife and mother. In 1994, she became First Lady of New York City. In this role, she promoted various health and educational causes around the city and was active in the city's civic life. In addition to her duties as first lady, she was a features reporter for local station WNYW Channel 5's morning Good Day New York show, rotating anchor of WNYW's Good Day Sunday program, and a co-anchor on the national cable Food Network's Food News and Views program. She balanced these positions with her political and mother roles by eschewing some of the production work she had done in the past. In addition, she worked from time to time as a radio disc jockey for New York's WYNY. The dual, concurrent roles as a journalist and political wife led to discussions of a possible conflict of interest, but even Giuliani political opponents such as Peter Vallone, Sr. respected her professionalism.

Hanover branched out into acting, having a prominent role as real-life presidential sister Ruth Carter Stapleton in the 1996 film The People vs. Larry Flynt; noted critic Frank Rich called her performance brilliant. She also appeared in the feature film Ransom that same year as a WNYW reporter. By 1996, she had reverted to only using Donna Hanover as her name and her public appearances with Rudy Giuliani became few. 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 Burke, and also appearing on series such as Family Law, The Practice, Sex and the City, and Ally McBeal.

In April 2000, Hanover accepted the lead role in Eve Ensler's play The Vagina Monologues, a feminist work that was known for previously casting high-profile actresses such as Gillian Anderson, Melissa Etheridge, Calista Flockhart and Winona Ryder, among others. 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 (and later canceled) 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 Giuliani having "a romantic dinner" with Judith Nathan, the woman who would be identified as his lover. Just one more week later, Rudy Giuliani announced that he and Hanover were officially separated at a press conference on May 10. Per friends of Ms. Hanover, Giuliani had neglected to tell Hanover either of his decision or of the press conference and moments later, with cameras taping her reaction, reporters at her residence apparently shocked her with this info and she was visibly distraught by the unexpected 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.