Who is Rex Murphy wife? Rex Murphy is a Canadian commentator and author who was married to Jennifer Davis best known as Jennifer Guy. Murphy was the regular host of CBC Radio One’s Cross Country Checkup, a nationwide call-in show, for 21 years before stepping down in September 2015. He currently writes for the National Post and has a YouTube channel called RexTV.
Murphy grew up in Placentia, 105 kilometers west of St. John’s, and is the second of five children of Harry Murphy (father) and Marie Murphy (mother). He graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a degree in English in 1968. After studying law for a year at St Edmund Hall, he began a Master’s degree in English at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes scholar but did not complete it.
Rex Murphy first came to national attention while attending Memorial University during a nationally covered speech in Lennoxville, Quebec. Murphy characterized Newfoundland Premier Joey Smallwood’s governing style as dictatorial and proclaimed his legislature’s recent announcement of free tuition as a sham. Smallwood warned the undergraduate student in a news conference not to return. Murphy did and was elected President of Memorial University Student Council. Smallwood’s administration followed through with its promise; students were awarded both free tuition and an additional $50 living allowance.
Murphy has run for provincial office in Newfoundland twice: in the 1985 provincial election in the riding of Placentia and in a by-election in the riding of St. John’s East in 1986 as a Liberal. He lost both times. He also worked in the 1980s as executive assistant to Clyde Wells. Murphy was a frequent presence on the various branches of the CBC. He had regular commentary segments entitled “Point of View” on The National, CBC Television’s flagship nightly news program.
He was also the regular host of CBC Radio One’s Cross Country Checkup, a nationwide call-in show. In 2004, he and nine other prominent Canadians participated in the production and the defence of a Great Canadian on the CBC Television program The Greatest Canadian. Murphy, advocating for former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, guided his candidate to third place in the final vote.
Murphy retired from Cross Country Checkup on 20 September 2015, and continued his commentary segments on The National until 28 June 2017. After receiv ing several public complaints in 2014, the CBC’s ombudsman investigated claims that Murphy may have been in conflict of interest by criticizing opponents of the Alberta oil sands in his Point of view segments while receiving money from the oil industry for paid speeches.
In the final report and after an investigation, the CBC’s ombudsman, Esther Enkin, did not say whether Murphy’s speeches presented a conflict of interest but did conclude that “since taking money leads to a perception of a conflict of interest, CBC management might want to consider, in the review they are undertaking, whether even with disclosure, it is appropriate for CBC news and current affairs staff to get paid for their speaking engagements.”
Name | Rex Murphy |
Wife | Jennifer Guy (ex-wife) |
Children | 1 (Daughter) |
Is Rex Murphy still married?
Rex Murphy was married to his first wife Jennifer Davis, better known as Jennifer Guy. His ex-wife was a TV Journalist and was the former host of Newsworld’s now-defunct Medical File. The couple had a daughter together. However, Rex Murphy and his wife Jennifer divorced after years of marriage. As of mid-2022, Rex Murphy is single and hasn’t remarried after separating from his wife whom he had a daughter with. Since his divorce, Murphy hasn’t spoken about his past marriage.