Zoey Tur Explained

Zoey Tur
Birth Name:Robert Albert Tur
Birth Date:8 June 1960
Birth Place:Los Angeles County, California, U.S.
Occupation:Reporter, journalist
Children:Two, including Katy Tur

Hanna Zoey Tur (born Robert Albert Tur June 8, 1960) is an American broadcast reporter[1] and commercial pilot who created Los Angeles News Service with fellow reporter and then-wife Marika Gerrard.

Early life and education

Born to a Jewish family,[2] [3] Tur dropped out of college at age 18 in 1978.[4]

Career

Los Angeles News Service was the first to use an AStar helicopter in a major city to cover breaking news,[1] and the first to televise a high-speed police chase. Tur's other noteworthy reporting included the attack on Reginald Denny during the 1992 Los Angeles riots and finding the crash site of Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771.[5] Tur was also the first to broadcast O. J. Simpson's slow-speed chase on June 17, 1994.[6] [7]

On March 25, 1989 Tur used a helicopter to locate a camper in desperate need of a kidney transplant. This incident was reenacted on the television program Rescue 911.

As a team, Tur and Gerrard received three Television News Emmy Awards[8] and Edward R. Murrow Awards[9] for broadcast excellence, an Associated Press National Breaking News award; and The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) Humanitarian Award.[10]

In 1991, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revoked Tur's pilot's license for "reckless flying" after a complaint from the Los Angeles City Fire Department. In 1994, a California Superior Court ruled against the Los Angeles Fire Department for suborning perjury in the original FAA action, awarding $550,000 and ruling that "public employees are not immune from liability for malicious prosecution if they instigate the prosecution through fraudulent, corrupt or malicious misrepresentations".[11] [12]

Tur has been credited with locating seven missing aircraft.

In 2007, Tur hosted a documentary series on MSNBC called Why They Run.[13] The show reported on why criminal suspects ran from police, and included interviews with those involved in police pursuits.

In 2015, Tur appeared in three episodes of Inside Edition[14] [15] [16] on CNN, on TMZ, and on Dr. Drew On Call.[17]

In 2016, Tur appeared in several episodes of the miniseries . The series features archival footage as well as Tur's recollections of covering the 1992 Los Angeles riots in episode 2 and of the June 17, 1994 police chase of O. J. Simpson.

Personal life

Tur's 23-year marriage to Marika Gerrard came to an end in 2003. The couple had two children: Katy, a television news reporter and anchor, and James, who is a physician.

In June 2013, Tur publicly came out as transgender,[18] and in 2014 revealed that she was undergoing hormone replacement therapy.[19] In August 2014, following gender reassignment surgery, she applied to a court to change her name and gender marker from male to female.[20] Reflecting on her transition in a 2017 interview, Tur stated, "What I have is not political. It's a medical condition that was treated. I'm cured. I'm done. It's not a mental illness. There are differences in the brain."[21]

In 2017, Tur said in an interview that her daughter Katy had become estranged from her because of the transition. Katy said in response that they "were not on speaking terms for a little while" but that it was not because of the transition.[22]

Tur is a principal subject of Katy Tur's 2022 memoir, Rough Draft. It depicts life for the younger Tur in her childhood that saw the highs of adventure with her parents but also lows that related to violence that made for a shaky childhood upbringing that she equated to "living on the edge of a knife," specifically from her father. The 2013 call involving the elder Tur's transition was part of the estrangement, with Katy stating, "My dad, in going through the transition wanted to bury Bob Tur … have that personality be erased. But Bob Tur was so much a part of my life that I felt if we wanted to move on and become something new, we’d have to confront it.” [23] [24]

Views on transgender rights

During a TMZ video chat in the summer of 2013, Tur described her understanding of one practical impact of the changes in her brain over the course of her hormone replacement therapy in piloting terms. Tur stated, "...you start thinking with white matter as opposed to men thinking with gray matter, so, where I was able to make split decisions flying and being in really rough conditions, weather conditions, I don't know if I'd be as good a pilot, because now I'm using white matter, and I'm becoming, really... That bridges the left and right brains, and you become [a] consensus builder, you start becoming more analytical, not as impulsive as you are when you're a guy." In their editorial comments, TMZ interpreted her words as meaning that she "doesn't believe women can make the same quick, decisive decisions like men when piloting an aircraft."[25]

Tur's critics have included Dana Beyer of Gender Rights Maryland, Shannon Minter of The National Center for Lesbian Rights, trans journalist Parker Marie Molloy, and trans blogger Mya Adriene Byrne.[17] [26] [27] [28]

In July 2015, while on Dr. Drew On Call talking about Caitlyn Jenner accepting the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY Awards ceremony, political commentator Ben Shapiro questioned her genetics and called Tur "sir", to which Tur responded by grabbing the back of Shapiro's neck and telling him to stop or he would "be going home in an ambulance."[29] Shapiro filed a police report charging Tur with battery regarding the incident and said that he intended to press charges. Shapiro said he did so to teach the left a lesson. Tur said the report was Shapiro's attempt to keep the story in the news.[30]

Notes and References

  1. August 1, 1994 . The talk of the town: Hot pursuit . . 70 . 23 . 23 . 0028-792X . . ProQuest Central.
  2. Web site: Solomon. Daniel J.. Meet the Jewish Transgender Reporter Ben Shapiro Mocked at Yeshiva U.. Jewish Daily Forward. December 12, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20181116085456/https://forward.com/news/national/356615/meet-the-jewish-transgender-reporter-ben-shapiro-mocked-at-yeshiva-u/. November 16, 2018. live.
  3. Web site: Abramovitch. Seth. The World According to Zoey Tur: An Interview With the Breakout Star of 'O.J.: Made in America'. The Hollywood Reporter. July 1, 2016. Is the family Jewish? We're Jewish in culture, but not really observant.. November 1, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181116085522/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/world-zoey-tur-an-interview-907699. November 16, 2018. live.
  4. News: Richard Jerome. Hot Shots. When they met in 1978, Tur was an 18-year-old college dropout employed as a part-time wire service reporter and photographer.... People. September 12, 1994. March 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20090604124449/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20103873,00.html. June 4, 2009. live.
  5. Web site: YouTube Hit With Copyright Suit . NY Times . July 19, 2006 . October 18, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150203224515/http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2006/07/19/youtube-hit-with-copyright-suit/?_r=0 . February 3, 2015 . live .
  6. CBS News, 60 Minutes-The Man That Shot O.J.
  7. News: TV news chopper spotted O.J. Simpson's white Bronco, and the chase was on . Winton . Richard . 2019-06-17 . Los Angeles Times . 2019-06-17 . limited . https://web.archive.org/web/20190617150108/https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-simpson-chase-bronco-helicopter-20190617-story.html . June 17, 2019 . live .
  8. Book: Variety and Daily Variety Television Reviews, 1993-1994 . June 7, 1993 . October 19, 2013 . Gerard, Jeremy . Taylor & Francis . 9780824037970 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131231182714/http://books.google.com/books?id=PS1g1rnX7rsC . December 31, 2013 . live .
  9. KCBS News Radio-San Francisco-Loma Prieta Earthquake-October 17, 1989.
  10. Web site: National Press Photographers Association Humanitarian Award . September 23, 2012 . National Press Photographers Association . October 19, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131020085416/https://nppa.org/page/203 . October 20, 2013 . live .
  11. Web site: Reporter wins malicious prosecution suit; jury awards $550,000 . Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press . February 24, 2015 . September 20, 1994 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924085421/http://www.rcfp.org/browse-media-law-resources/news/reporter-wins-malicious-prosecution-suit-jury-awards-550000 . September 24, 2015 . live .
  12. Superior Court of California No. BC075051. Hon. Victor E. Chavez.
  13. Web site: MSNBC Ramps Up Doc Production . Media Bistro . September 4, 2007 . October 18, 2013 . Ariens, Chris . https://web.archive.org/web/20131021053028/http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc-ramps-up-doc-production_b16030 . October 21, 2013 . live .
  14. News: Mitch Kellaway. Trans Reporter Zoey Tur in Hot Water Over Remarks on Trans Bodies, Rights. This week, Inside Edition confirmed to The Advocate that the show has ended its relationship with Tur, but claimed the decision was not influenced by the increasing outcry about Tur's public comments. "It was just a part-time assignment, for February sweeps," co-executive producer Esther Pressin stated. "She did three stories for us, and we're done.". The Advocate. March 23, 2015. March 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150324235438/http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2015/03/19/trans-reporter-zoey-tur-hot-water-over-remarks-trans-bodies-rights. March 24, 2015. live.
  15. Web site: Rothaussrothaus . Steve . Transgender TV news reporter Zoey Tur, formerly Chopper Bob, joins 'Inside Edition' . . Miamiherald.com . January 29, 2015 . February 3, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150203020402/http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/gay-south-florida/article8951132.html#storylink=cpy . February 3, 2015 . live .
  16. Web site: Is transgender community ready for close-up? . Usatoday.com . January 31, 2015 . February 6, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150207085538/http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2015/02/05/is-americas-transgender-community-ready-for-closeup/22805587/ . February 7, 2015 . live .
  17. News: Mitch Kellaway. Trans Reporter Zoey Tur in Hot Water Over Remarks on Trans Bodies, Rights. The Advocate. March 23, 2015. March 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150324235438/http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2015/03/19/trans-reporter-zoey-tur-hot-water-over-remarks-trans-bodies-rights. March 24, 2015. live.
  18. Web site: Rival chopper pilots who covered O. J. Simpson chase now are transgender women. Sasha. Goldstein. New York Daily News. 2014-06-19. 2016-11-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20160625170841/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/rival-tv-chopper-pilots-covered-o-chase-transgender-women-article-1.1836648. June 25, 2016. live.
  19. Web site: O.J. Chopper Pilot -- Completes Sexual Reassignment. www.tmz.com. June 15, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150615064602/http://www.tmz.com/2014/06/30/bob-tur-zoey-tur-sexual-reassignment-surgery-transformation-helicopter-pilot-oj. June 15, 2015. live.
  20. Web site: Zoey Tur Sex Change -- Final Detail in Male-To-Female Change. www.tmz.com. June 15, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150627115911/http://www.tmz.com/2014/08/05/zoey-tur-sex-change-name-gender-reassignment-surgery. June 27, 2015. live.
  21. News: Sidner. Sara. Two helicopter pilots share O.J. Simpson chase -- and gender reassignment. July 21, 2017. CNN. July 21, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170722202446/http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/21/health/oj-simpson-helicopter-pilots-gender-transition/index.html. July 22, 2017. live.
  22. Web site: 'You Can't Rattle Her': Katy Tur on the Rise . Torregrosa . Luisita Lopez . 2017-06-10 . The New York Times . en-US . 2020-02-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191028152437/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/10/style/katy-tur-donald-trump-nbc.html . October 28, 2019 . live .
  23. Web site: Coles. Joanna. From a Childhood in News Choppers to the Anchor's Seat. New York Times. June 14, 2022. June 15, 2022.
  24. Web site: How Katy Tur's toxic relationship with parent Zoey Tur prepared her to take on Trump . . June 14, 2022 .
  25. News: TMZ Staff. Bob Tur Famed Chopper Pilot To Become a Woman. TMZ. June 12, 2013. March 23, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140314070008/http://www.tmz.com/2013/06/12/bob-tur-transgender-woman-zoe/. March 14, 2014. live.
  26. News: Zack Ford. An Imperfect Spokesperson: The Transgender Backlash Against Zoey Tur. ThinkProgress. March 20, 2015. March 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150322184824/http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2015/03/20/3635549/zoey-tur-transgender-representation/. March 22, 2015. live.
  27. News: Dana Beyer. Locker Room Frenzy Returns: Planet Fitness, Zoey Tur and the Politics of False Movement Messiahs. The Huffington Post. March 12, 2015. March 23, 2015. Dana Beyer. https://web.archive.org/web/20150321044956/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dana-beyer/locker-room-frenzy-returns-planet-fitness-zoey-_b_6859606.html. March 21, 2015. live.
  28. News: Lorraine Ali. FOR ZOEY TUR, A NEW LIFE AS TRANSGENDER WOMAN TAKES FLIGHT. Los Angeles Times. March 31, 2015. March 31, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402122540/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/great-reads/la-et-c1-zoey-tur-profile-20150331-story.html#page=1. April 2, 2015. live.
  29. News: Inside Edition's Zoe Tur Threatens To Send Breitbart's Ben Shapiro "Home In An Ambulance" Over Jenner Debate . Real Clear Politics . Tim Hains . 17 July 2015 . 26 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191227045851/https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/07/17/inside_editions_zoe_tur_threatens_to_send_breitbarts_ben_shapiro_home_in_an_ambulance_over_jenner_debate.html . December 27, 2019 . live .
  30. Web site: Editor Ben Shapiro Files Police Report Against Transgender Reporter After Heated TV Exchange. Newsweek. Walker. Lauren. July 21, 2015. December 21, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20170117192059/http://www.newsweek.com/conservative-editor-files-police-report-against-transgender-reporter-after-355851. January 17, 2017. live.

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