A quiet public sighting of Fox News personality Tyrus holding hands with a woman sparked widespread surprise online, as many fans had no idea he was married. The woman was his wife, Ingrid, and the revelation brought their private decade-long relationship into the spotlight. Tyrus was born George Timothy Murdoch in Boston on February 21, 1973. His early life was marked by severe hardship.
His mother was 15 and his father 19 when he was born, and the home was filled with violence. His father was abusive, and a punch to young Murdoch’s eye caused permanent swelling. In one terrifying incident, his father allegedly tried to throw him from a high-rise window. After his mother escaped, her family refused to accept the boys because their father was Black, which made the marriage illegal at the time.
Murdoch and his brother were placed in foster care. As a child, he recalled believing that if he could change his skin color, he might be allowed back home. The family eventually reunited in Los Angeles. His mother worked up to 80 hours a week, but stability remained out of reach.
A violent stepfather later knocked out 13-year-old Murdoch’s front teeth. At 16, after a final confrontation, he packed a trash bag and left home for good, sleeping on couches and even hiding in school locker rooms. Football became his anchor, providing structure and mentors. After high school, he attended Antelope Valley College before transferring to the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
Despite initial doubts about the smaller Division II school, he called it one of the best decisions of his life. He earned his degree in physical education in 1998. When injuries ended his football career, he worked as a substitute teacher and nightclub bouncer, and later did security work for rapper Snoop Dogg. While breaking up a fight one night, a wrestler witnessed his combination of calm and humor and saw potential in him.
By 2006, he debuted in WWE as Brodus Clay, and in 2014 he joined Impact Wrestling under the name Tyrus. A playful online exchange with Greg Gutfeld led to appearances on Fox News, and by 2016 he became a regular personality on the network. Between 2018 and 2019, he co-hosted the Fox Nation program UNPC alongside Britt McHenry. In April 2019, Tyrus quietly disappeared from the show.
In June, the Daily Beast reported that his exit followed a formal complaint from McHenry. She alleged he sent unwanted, explicit text messages between October and December 2018, including threats to send graphic images, and that the workplace became hostile after she rejected him. Fox News hired two outside law firms to investigate. The network said neither found evidence supporting McHenry’s claims.
Tyrus was given his own show, while McHenry received a new co-host. McHenry sued Fox News in June 2019, and later filed a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights naming both Fox and Tyrus. In December 2019, she filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan against the network, senior executives, and Murdoch. She claimed the network’s zero-tolerance policy was applied only to her for speaking up, and that she was isolated and blocked from opportunities.
Murdoch’s attorney denied all allegations and suggested possible defamation claims. Fox News said it expected the case to be dismissed. In July 2021, the lawsuit ended in a settlement. The terms were undisclosed.
Fox said it settled to avoid further litigation, while Murdoch’s attorney noted the claims were dismissed with prejudice and that his client made no payment. McHenry said she was proud for standing up for herself. The personal side of Murdoch’s life was far quieter. He married Ingrid Rink Herbert privately on January 6, 2024.
They met in New Jersey in the fall of 2014 over casual coffee dates. By April 2020, in the middle of the pandemic lockdown, he proposed with a green emerald ring. Ingrid, a personal trainer for 25 years, lost 150 pounds through consistent habits. She later founded her own businesses after her son’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis led her to create portion-controlled meals.
That family necessity grew into a successful company. The couple lives on a farm in northern New Jersey, sharing their home with children from previous relationships and a collection of exotic animals they call the Tyrus Zilla Zoo. Ingrid, who initially did not like animals, now manages the operation with schedules and delegated responsibilities. During the 2019 lawsuit, Ingrid posted a rare social media message describing that year as deeply traumatic for the family, while crediting her husband for stepping up as a leader at home.
The couple’s relationship, built slowly and patiently, continues away from the spotlight.
