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Brianna Keilar (US Journalist)
Brianna Keilar net worth reflects a career built not overnight, but through two decades of relentless reporting from some of America’s most important news desks. She is an Australian-born American television journalist, currently serving as co-anchor of CNN News Central out of Washington, D.C. — one of the most watched afternoon news programs in American cable television.
Keilar was born in Canberra, Australia, but grew up in Orange County, California, after her family relocated when she was just two years old. She earned dual degrees in Mass Communications and Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, graduating with academic honors. From there, she built her career the hard way — starting at a local CBS affiliate in Yakima, Washington, moving through CBS News, and eventually joining CNN in 2006.
At CNN, she did not stay in one lane. She covered Congress, the Obama White House, Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, and some of the biggest breaking news events of her generation — including the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, where she was the first CNN correspondent on the scene. Her work earned her two major journalism awards: the National Press Foundation’s Dirksen Award and the White House Correspondents’ Association’s Aldo Beckman Memorial Award.
This article covers everything readers want to know about Brianna Keilar — her early life, education, full career timeline at CNN, estimated net worth and salary, personal life including her marriage to former Green Beret Fernando Lujan, and her son Antonio. The facts here are drawn from verified public sources, so readers get a clear, honest picture of who she is — on screen and off.
| Full Name | Brianna Marie Keilar |
| Date of Birth | September 21, 1980 |
| Place of Birth | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian-American |
| Profession | Journalist, Television Anchor, Political Correspondent |
| Employer | CNN, Washington, D.C. Bureau |
| Education | Dual B.A. in Mass Communications and Psychology, University of California, Berkeley — Phi Beta Kappa (2001) |
| Career Start | Intern and Production Assistant, KTVU-TV, Oakland, California |
| Current Role | Co-Anchor, Afternoon Edition — CNN News Central (1–4 p.m. ET), Washington, D.C. |
| Notable Coverage | 2007 Virginia Tech Massacre, 2008 $700 Billion Bank Bailout, Obama White House, Obamacare Rollout, Hillary Clinton 2016 Presidential Campaign, COVID-19 Pandemic |
| Marital Status | Married to Fernando Lujan (December 30, 2016); previously married to Dave French (2009, divorced) |
| Children | Antonio Allen Martinez Lujan (son, born June 8, 2018); stepson Teddy Lujan |
| Awards | 2009 National Press Foundation Everett McKinley Dirksen Award; 2014 White House Correspondents’ Association Aldo Beckman Memorial Award; Emmy Award (CNN 2012 Election Night Coverage) |
| Estimated Net Worth | $5 million – $8 million (estimated; not officially confirmed) |
| Salary | Estimated $150,000 – $2,000,000 annually (not officially confirmed) |
| Siblings | Kelly Keilar (elder sister) |
| Residence | Washington, D.C., United States |
Who is Brianna Keilar ?
Brianna Keilar is an Australian-born American television journalist and anchor, currently serving as co-acting co-anchor of CNN News Central out of Washington, D.C. Having joined CNN in 2006, she has covered major breaking news events, presidential campaigns, and the White House, earning multiple prestigious journalism awards including the Dirksen and Aldo Beckman awards.
Early Life and Education
Brianna Keilar’s story begins far from the American television studios she is now known for. She was born on September 21, 1980, in Canberra, Australia — not because her family was Australian, but because her father Glenn Keilar, who is Australian, and her American mother Miriam Allen Keilar were stationed there at the time. In 1982, when Brianna was just two years old, the family packed up and moved to the United States, settling in Orange County, California. That is where she grew up, went to school, and first found her voice.
Brianna attended Mission Viejo High School in Orange County. She graduated in 1998 and left a mark before she even stepped into a newsroom — she was voted homecoming queen in her senior year. It was a small signal of the public confidence she would carry throughout her career.
University and Academic Achievement
After high school, Brianna enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley — one of the most respected public universities in the United States. She did not just complete one degree. She earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Mass Communications and Psychology, graduating in 2001 with the distinction of Phi Beta Kappa — an academic honor reserved for top-performing students. That combination of communication and human behavior would prove to be the perfect foundation for a career in journalism.
Her parents shaped who she became. Her father Glenn is Australian; her mother Miriam was American. Sadly, Miriam passed away in May 2016 after a sudden diagnosis of acute leukemia — a loss Brianna has spoken about publicly through her writing at CNN. She also has an elder sister named Kelly Keilar.
Career Timeline and Achievements
Brianna Keilar did not walk straight into a national network. She earned her place in American journalism one assignment at a time, starting small and building steadily over two decades.
Early Career — Local TV and CBS News
Her first step into broadcasting came as an intern and production assistant at KTVU-TV, a television station in Oakland, California. From there, she moved to Yakima, Washington, joining KIMA-TV, the local CBS affiliate, as a general assignment reporter. While in Yakima, she also co-hosted a morning radio show called Billy, Blue and Brianna, Too: The Morning Zoo on KFFM — showing early versatility across both television and radio.
She then moved up to CBS News, where she worked as an anchor, reporter, and producer for a CBS newscast that aired on MTVU, MTV’s college network. At CBS, she also served as a fill-in anchor on the overnight newscast Up to the Minute and as a freelance reporter for the weekend edition of the CBS Evening News. It was solid, unglamorous work — and exactly the kind of training that prepares a journalist for the biggest stages.
Rise at CNN — Correspondent to Senior Anchor
In 2006, Brianna joined CNN as a correspondent for CNN Newsource, reporting breaking news from Washington, D.C., and delivering coverage to approximately 800 CNN affiliate stations across the country. It was a significant platform from the start.
Her rise at CNN was not accidental. She moved through several major roles:
- General Assignment Correspondent — covered wide-ranging national stories
- Congressional Correspondent — reported directly from Capitol Hill
- White House Correspondent — covered the Obama administration from Washington and around the world
- Senior Washington Correspondent — responsible for major political, policy, and breaking news coverage
One of her earliest and most defining moments at CNN came in 2007, when she became the first CNN correspondent on the scene of the Virginia Tech massacre — one of the deadliest school shootings in American history. That moment established her as a journalist who showed up when it mattered most.
While covering Congress, she reported extensively on the $700 billion bank bailout of 2008 — one of the biggest financial stories in a generation. Covering the Obama White House, she reported on Obamacare’s rollout, the government shutdown, and contributed to CNN’s Emmy Award-winning 2012 election night coverage. During the 2016 presidential campaign, she served as CNN’s lead reporter covering Hillary Clinton and the Democratic field.
Anchor Roles and CNN News Central
In November 2018, Brianna stepped into the anchor chair full time, taking charge of CNN’s dayside program. She hosted CNN Right Now with Brianna Keilar — a weekday afternoon program covering major headlines and conducting high-profile interviews.
In 2021, she joined New Day, co-anchoring the morning program alongside John Berman. The show was later replaced, and in April 2023, Brianna took on her current role as co-anchor of CNN News Central, the afternoon edition running from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET, based out of CNN’s Washington, D.C. bureau.
Beyond anchoring, she has authored the Home Front column for CNN since 2019 — a series dedicated to the lives of military families and the gap between civilian and military experience in America.
Awards, Emmy Recognition, and Notable Journalism Milestones
Brianna Keilar’s career has earned recognition at the highest levels of American broadcast journalism. Her individual honors are among the most respected in the industry.
In 2009, she received the National Press Foundation’s Everett McKinley Dirksen Award for Distinguished Reporting of Congress — awarded for her coverage of the $700 billion bank bailout during the financial crisis of 2008. In 2014, she earned the White House Correspondents’ Association’s Aldo Beckman Memorial Award for her reporting on the rollout of Obamacare — one of the most closely watched domestic policy stories of the Obama presidency.
On the subject of Emmy recognition — Brianna Keilar contributed to CNN’s Emmy Award-winning 2012 election night coverage. As part of the CNN reporting and anchoring team that night, her work was part of a broadcast that earned the network that distinction.
It is worth clarifying for readers searching specifically for her Emmy history: Brianna does not hold a personal, individual Emmy Award based on publicly available records. The Emmy associated with her name relates to her contribution to CNN’s team coverage of the 2012 election. Her individually confirmed journalism awards remain the 2009 Dirksen Award and the 2014 Aldo Beckman Memorial Award — both significant honors in their own right.
Brianna Keilar Net Worth and Salary
Various entertainment and media biography websites place her net worth somewhere between $2 million and $8 million. The most frequently cited figures cluster around the $5 million to $8 million range, reflecting her long tenure at one of America’s most prominent cable news networks. These are estimates — not confirmed numbers — and should be read as reasonable approximations based on her career level and experience, not as verified financial disclosures.
CNN does not publicly disclose anchor salaries, and Brianna has never confirmed her earnings in any public interview or statement. Third-party sources estimate her annual salary somewhere between $150,000 and $2 million, a wide range that reflects the uncertainty involved. What is clear is that senior anchors at major cable networks — particularly those with her level of experience, awards, and on-air tenure — command salaries well above industry averages for television journalists.
Her wealth, whatever the exact figure, has been built entirely through journalism. There are no confirmed brand endorsement deals or major outside business ventures on record. Her income sources include her CNN anchor salary, her long career progression from local TV through CBS to national network roles, and her editorial work including the Home Front column. Two decades of continuous work at progressively senior levels is the foundation of everything she has earned.
Personal Life and Family
For readers searching whether Brianna Keilar’s first husband was Dave French — yes, that is confirmed. He married her on May 2, 2009. The exact divorce year has never been publicly disclosed.French has largely stayed out of the public eye, and Brianna has never spoken extensively about that chapter of her life in interviews.
Meeting Fernando Lujan and Second Marriage
Her second — and current — marriage has a story worth telling. Brianna first crossed paths with Fernando Lujan around 2012, during her time covering the White House for CNN. Lujan was then serving as a director on the National Security Council at the White House, overseeing policy on Pakistan and Afghanistan. They moved in overlapping professional circles — White House Christmas parties, official events, shared acquaintances.
At first, Brianna reportedly tried to set Lujan up with one of her friends. He was not interested in that arrangement. Their friendship deepened gradually, and by November 2015 they had grown genuinely close. Lujan proposed on Independence Day in July 2016, with fireworks in the sky — a moment Brianna has described publicly with warmth. The engagement was announced in July 2016. Then, on December 30, 2016, the two married in Las Vegas — a quiet, private ceremony. The world found out in a memorable way: fellow CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin announced the news live on air during CNN’s New Year’s Eve broadcast that same evening.
Fernando Lujan is a distinguished figure in his own right. He served as an active-duty U.S. Army Green Beret — one of America’s elite special operations soldiers — before transitioning out of active duty. His career brought unique demands to their family life, including deployments and extended time away from home, experiences Brianna has written about honestly through her Home Front column.
Children and Family Life
Brianna and Fernando welcomed their first child together — a son named Antonio Allen Martinez Lujan — on June 8, 2018. His arrival came during a period when Fernando was on duty in Japan with the Green Berets. He made it back just in time for the birth — a moment that captures the reality of military family life that Brianna writes about so personally. Fernando also has a child named Teddy from a previous relationship, who is part of their family life as well.
Brianna has never shied away from the challenges of being a military spouse. Through her CNN Home Front column, launched in 2019, she has shared stories about deployments, unexpected schedule changes, and the emotional weight that military families carry — drawing directly from her own experience. The column has become one of the most personal and respected parts of her public work.
The Loss of Her Mother
No account of Brianna’s personal life is complete without acknowledging the loss of her mother. Miriam Allen Keilar passed away on May 17, 2016, at Saddleback Valley Hospital in California, after a sudden diagnosis of acute leukemia — dying within just 24 hours of the family learning of her condition. Her father Glenn was by Miriam’s side. Brianna has spoken about this loss on air and in writing, and it clearly shaped her deeply as both a person and a journalist.
FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About Brianna Keilar
Key questions answered about the CNN News Central co-anchor and her public life
Born Brianna Marie Keilar on September 21, 1980, in Canberra, Australia, she grew up in Orange County, California, after her family relocated in 1982. She joined CNN in 2006 and has since covered some of the most significant stories in modern American history — from the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre to the Obama White House and the 2016 presidential campaign. She is also the author of CNN's Home Front column, which focuses on military family life.
The couple met around 2012 when Brianna was covering the White House for CNN and Lujan was serving on the National Security Council. They married on December 30, 2016, in Las Vegas. The news was announced live on CNN by anchor Brooke Baldwin during the network's New Year's Eve broadcast. Before Fernando, Brianna was married to Dave French from 2009 until their later divorce.
Her father Glenn is Australian and her mother Miriam was American. The family moved to the United States when Brianna was two years old, and she has lived and worked in America throughout her adult life. She is widely identified as an Australian-American journalist.
Fernando also has a child named Teddy from a previous relationship, who is part of the family. Brianna has written openly about the experience of raising a family as a military spouse, including Fernando's deployment to Japan around the time of Antonio's birth — a story she has shared publicly through her CNN Home Front column.
No official figure has ever been confirmed by Brianna Keilar herself or by CNN. Her wealth has been built entirely through journalism — spanning local television, CBS News, and over two decades at CNN in progressively senior anchor and correspondent roles. There are no confirmed brand endorsements or major outside business ventures on record.
She joined CNN News Central in April 2023, anchoring the 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET block alongside Boris Sanchez and Jim Sciutto. Before this role, she co-anchored New Day with John Berman and hosted CNN Right Now with Brianna Keilar. She has been with CNN continuously since 2006.
She graduated with the distinction of Phi Beta Kappa — an academic honor reserved for top-performing students. Before university, she attended Mission Viejo High School in Orange County, California, graduating in 1998. She was voted homecoming queen in her senior year.
She received the 2009 National Press Foundation Everett McKinley Dirksen Award for her coverage of the $700 billion bank bailout, and the 2014 White House Correspondents' Association Aldo Beckman Memorial Award for her reporting on the Obamacare rollout. She also contributed to CNN's Emmy Award-winning 2012 election night coverage.
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