Elizabeth Vargas Biography

Elizabeth Vargas is an American journalist working for NewsNation as an anchor of “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” on weeknights at 7 p.m. ET, an hour-long weekday news program that debuted April 3, 2023. She also works as the host of “iCrime,” a half-hour syndicated crime series broadcast on WPIX-TV in New York and other stations nationwide.

Elizabeth Vargas Education

Vargas joined the University of Missouri in Columbia in 1980 after finishing her education at Heidelberg American High School in Heidelberg, Germany. In 1984, she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism. During her time in college, she served as a student reporter at KOMU-TV and a student editor at KBIA.

Elizabeth Vargas Career

Vargas works for NewsNation as an anchor of “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” on weeknights at 7 p.m. ET, an hour-long weekday news program that debuted April 3, 2023. She also works as the host of “iCrime,” a half-hour syndicated crime series broadcast on WPIX-TV in New York and other stations nationwide.

Vargas has traveled globally to cover breaking news stories, file in-depth investigative reports, and hold newsmaker interviews. Additionally, she has hosted “America’s Most Wanted” on Fox TV.

Vargas previously spent 15 years hosting ABC’s hit newsmagazine show, “20/20.” She also co-anchored ABC’s World News Tonight and was a news anchor and regular host of “Good Morning America.” Moreover, she hosted A&E Investigates, a series of documentaries that still air on Hulu

Vargas published Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction, her memoir, which spent multiple weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and earned many awards in 2016.

Vargas sits on the board of directors for the non-profit Partnership to End Addiction. She also hosts “Heart of the Matter,” a podcast that focuses on recovery, addiction, and the stigma individuals face in their effort to heal.

Early Career

After graduating from college, Vargas started her career at CBS affiliate KTVN in Reno, Nevada, before moving to Phoenix, Arizona. In Arizona, she served as a lead reporter for then-ABC affiliate KTVK for 3 years. She then moved to Chicago, where she served at WBBM until 1993.

In 1993, Vargas joined NBC News as a correspondent for Now with Tom Brokaw and Katie Couric. She then became a correspondent for Dateline NBC and was a substitute anchor for Today and the weekend editions of NBC Nightly News.

ABC News

Following her time at NBC, Vargas joined ABC News’ Good Morning America as the newsreader in June 1996. In June of the following year, she was promoted to primetime magazine show correspondent. In 2002, she began anchoring 20/20 Downtown, which was later rebranded as Downtown before being rebranded again in 2003 as Primetime Monday before its end.

After the end of Primetime Monday, Vargas began filing occasional reports for Primetime. She also began anchoring World News Tonight on Saturday and developed specials for Primetime. In November 2003, she became anchor of World News Tonight Sunday. In May of the following year, she began co-anchoring 20/20.

Vargas served as the first national evening news anchor of Puerto Rican and Irish-American heritage and also the third female anchor of a network evening newscast in the US since Connie Chung and Barbara Walters. In 1999, she received an Emmy Award for her coverage of the Elián González story. 4 years later, she earned an Emmy Award nomination for her 20/20 investigation into the wrongful conviction of Betty Tyson.

After the death of Peter Jennings in August 2005, Vargas and Bob Woodruff were chosen as co-anchors of World News Tonight on December 5, 2005. She also co-anchored World News Tonight with either Charles Gibson or Diane Sawyer. On May 23, 2006, she shared that she was resigning from World News Tonight because of her doctors’ recommendation to reduce her schedule owing to a difficult pregnancy and her wish to spend more time with her new baby when he arrived.

Vargas returned as co-anchor of 20/20 and primary host of ABC News specials in late 2006. In 2008, she hosted Elvis: Viva Las Vegas, a documentary that explored Elvis Presley’s success in Las Vegas and his artistic legacy. The documentary featured performances and interviews with stars like Celine Dion, Dwayne Johnson, Faith Hill, Jon Bon Jovi, David Lynch, Paul McCartney, Beyoncé, and Priscilla Presley.

Vargas earned a Peabody Award for her contributions to ABC News’ coverage of Hurricane Sandy on 20/20 in 2013. During a special edition of 20/20 on September 9, 2016, she talked about her struggles with anxiety and alcoholism and discussed her upcoming memoir, which delves into those struggles. In October 2016, she appeared in an episode of ABC’s Designated Survivor. She officially left ABC on May 25, 2018, after a dedication on 20/20.

Elizabeth Vargas Age

Vargas was born Elizabeth Anne Vargas on September 6, 1962, in Paterson, New Jersey, United States of America. She is 63 years old as of 2025. Vargas celebrates her birthday on September 6th.

Elizabeth Vargas Height

Vargas stands at an approximate height of 5 feet and 6 inches.

Elizabeth Vargas Family

Vargas was born to Anne Vargas and Rafael “Ralf” Vargas. She grew up with her two siblings, Aimie and Christopher, who both work in tech in Silicon Valley.

Anne is an Irish-American a part-time English teacher while Rafael was an Italian-Spanish colonel in the United States Army from Puerto Rico. Rafael moved the family to Okinawa when she was four years old. Due to her father’s military career, she spent much of her youth moving from post to post in Germany, Belgium, and the United States.

Despite her multi-ethnic heritage, Vargas identifies with her Hispanic roots. She is fluent in English and Spanish and proficient in French.

Elizabeth Vargas Husband

Vargas got married to Marc Cohn on July 20, 2002, after three years of dating. They met at the 1999 U.S. Open after she pursued an interview with Andre Agassi, a friend of Cohn’s. The couple has two sons, Zach and Sam. She has two stepchildren, Max and Emily, from Cohn’s first marriage.

Zach was born on January 31, 2003, and is 23 years old as of 2026. Samuel was born on August 16, 2006, and is 19 years old as of 2025. Cohn and Vargas divorced in 2014, days after she came out of rehabilitation for alcoholism for a third time. Entertainment Tonight confirmed their divorce in August 2014 after 12 years of marriage.

Marc is an American singer-songwriter born on July 5, 1959, and is 67 years old as of 2026. He is best known for the song “Walking in Memphis,” which was a Top 40 hit from his 1991 album, Marc Cohn.

Elizabeth Vargas Net Worth

Vargas has an estimated net worth ranging between $1 million – $5 million, which she has earned through being a journalist.

Elizabeth Vargas Salary

Vargas earns an annual salary ranging between $40,000 – $ 110,500.

Elizabeth Vargas Real Housewives/RHOC

Vargas did not appear on RHOC. Rather, a different woman with the exact same name, Elizabeth Lyn Vargas, was part of the main cast on The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 15 in 2020.

Elizabeth Vargas Alcohol Addiction/Still Sober

Vargas has had a lifelong battle with alcohol, stemming from anxiety rooted in her childhood. After her father joined the Vietnam War, she started experiencing daily panic attacks. Early on, she was told to hide her anxiety so that it wouldn’t appear weak. However, this intensified the problem and her addiction to alcohol. While vacationing with her family in 2012, she came to the realization that she needed help. She sought treatment in Utah, but left prematurely and eventually relapsed.

On November 6, 2013, ABC confirmed that she was undergoing treatment for alcoholism in Tennessee. Once again, she left the rehabilitation program too soon, but quickly realized it was a mistake. Within a week, she returned for treatment for a third time. Shortly after coming home, she her husband divorced.

Vargas referred to herself as an alcoholic on January 24, 2014. She spent the next few years writing her memoir, Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction. Published by Grand Central Publishing on September 13, 2016, her memoir became an instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller. In 2018, NBC News reported that she has been sober since 2014.