Jessica Savitch

Jessica separated from her first husband Mel Korn after only 10 months of marriage in November 1980. Her second husband, Dr. Donald Payne, committed suicide by hanging just over four months after their wedding. The shock of discovering Payne hanging in their basement lead to Savich miscarrying in the fourth month of her pregnancy.

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 703-704. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998.

Her life formed the original basis of Michelle Pfeiffer's character in Up Close & Personal (1996), but Savitch's story was considered too downbeat and was rewritten to be more upbeat.

Will Ferrell also borrowed from Jessica's struggles in writing Christina Applegate's 70s female anchor role in his film, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004).