Harvey Levin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harvey Levin
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Levin in 2010
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Harvey Robert Levin
September 2, 1950 |
| Education | University of California, Santa Barbara (BA) University of Chicago (JD) |
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| Known for | Founder of TMZ |
| Style | Paparazzi |
| Partner(s) | Andy Mauer |
Harvey Robert Levin, born on September 2, 1950, is an American television producer, legal expert, and journalist. He is best known for starting the popular celebrity news website TMZ in 2005. He also hosted a show called OBJECTified on the Fox News Channel.
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Early Life and Education
Harvey Levin was born in Los Angeles County, California. He went to Grover Cleveland High School in Reseda, Los Angeles, graduating in 1968.
He then studied at the University of California, Santa Barbara, earning a degree in political science in 1972. After that, he attended the University of Chicago Law School and became a lawyer in 1975.
Career Highlights
Early Law Career
Levin worked as a lawyer in California for about 20 years, starting in 1975. In the mid-1970s, he also taught law at the University of Miami School of Law. Later, he taught at Whittier College School of Law.
In 1978, Levin became well-known for debating Howard Jarvis. Jarvis helped create Proposition 13, a law in California that changed property taxes. Levin was against this law.
Because of his growing fame, Levin started giving legal advice on a radio show. People called him "Doctor Law." He also wrote articles for the Los Angeles Times newspaper for seven years.
Moving to Entertainment News
Levin began covering legal stories for TV stations like KNBC-TV in 1982. He later joined KCBS-TV, where he spent ten years doing investigative reports and explaining legal cases. He famously covered the O. J. Simpson murder case.
In 1997, he became a co-executive producer and on-air legal expert for The People's Court, a TV show where real small claims cases are heard. He worked on this show until it ended in 2023. He also created another show called Celebrity Justice, which ran from 2002 to 2005.
In 2005, AOL and Telepictures Productions launched TMZ. Harvey Levin was the founder and main editor. TMZ quickly became famous for breaking big news stories about celebrities. For example, it was the first to report the deaths of Heath Ledger, Brittany Murphy, Michael Jackson, and Kobe Bryant. The Los Angeles Times said TMZ's coverage of Michael Jackson's death was the biggest story the website had reported.
Harvey Levin Productions has produced Levin's media projects since 1983. In 1985, Levin wrote a book called The People's Court: How to Tell It to the Judge. This book looked at cases from The People's Court show.
Filmography
- Volcano (1997) – Reporter
- Celebrity Justice – Host
- TMZ - Himself - (2005 to Present)
- Family Guy - Himself - S-8 Ep-14 - "Peter-assment" (2010)
Books
- The People's Court: How to Tell it to the Judge (1985)
Awards and Honors
Harvey Levin has been nominated for nine Emmy Awards for his work in television.
Images for kids
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Levin in 2010
