A fashion publicist who co-founded the swimwear label Basta Surf, Emily Threlkeld spent years in the industry before her marriage to Fox News co-host Harold Ford Jr. brought her into public view.
Emily Threlkeld is a fashion publicist who co-founded the swimwear label Basta Surf and is married to Harold Ford Jr., the former Tennessee congressman and a rotating co-host of Fox News’ “The Five.” Her career in fashion came first.
She rarely appears in public on her own. One of her more recent sightings was in December 2025, when she joined Ford at a New York screening of the Netflix film “The Six Triple Eight,” alongside guests including Ted Sarandos and Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld.
| Emily Threlkeld at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Known for | Co-founding the swimwear label Basta Surf; wife of Harold Ford Jr. |
| Also known as | Emily Ford |
| Work | Fashion publicist and swimwear entrepreneur |
| Spouse | Harold Ford Jr. (married April 26, 2008) |
| Children | Georgia Walker Ford and Harold Eugene Ford III |
| Based in | New York City |
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From Carolina Herrera to Basta Surf
Threlkeld worked in New York fashion in the 2000s. By the time she married Ford in 2008, she was a publicist for the designer Carolina Herrera, according to local coverage of the wedding.
That same year, she co-founded Basta Surf, a New York swimwear label, with designer Samantha August. The suits used Italian fabrics and sold through retailers including Moda Operandi and Bloomingdale’s. Threlkeld ran the business under her married name, Emily Ford.
Raj Swim, the California manufacturer behind labels such as Hurley and Reef, bought Basta Surf in February 2015. Samantha August told the trade outlet California Apparel News that the sale gave the label the resources to expand.
How she and Harold Ford Jr. met
Threlkeld’s mother introduced the couple, having met Ford first and judged the two a good match. They met at a wedding in New Orleans and dated for several years.
They married on April 26, 2008, at Trinity Cathedral Episcopal Church in Miami. About 300 guests attended, and the wedding party numbered 26, according to reporting at the time. Threlkeld was 27. Ford, then 37, had given up his House seat to run for the Senate in 2006, losing to Bob Corker after ten years in Congress.
Two children and a home in New York
The couple settled in New York City and have two children. Their daughter, Georgia Walker Ford, was born on December 22, 2013, a date Ford shared in a post welcoming her. Their son, Harold Eugene Ford III, followed in 2015. The U.S. House biography of Ford lists both children by name.
Ford rarely discusses the marriage in public. In a January 2019 birthday message to his wife, he called her “the boss” and thanked her for keeping the household running.
What Emily Threlkeld is doing now
Threlkeld keeps no public social media accounts, and there is no active professional profile under either of her names. Her public appearances are occasional, usually alongside her husband.
Ford remains a rotating co-host of “The Five” and an executive vice president at PNC Bank.
Her marriage to Ford is what drew public attention. The swimwear label she ran for seven years, and sold to a larger manufacturer in 2015, is the part of her story that belongs to her alone.
Frequently asked questions
What did Emily Threlkeld do before marrying Harold Ford Jr.?
She worked as a fashion publicist for Carolina Herrera and co-founded the swimwear label Basta Surf with designer Samantha August.
What happened to Basta Surf?
The California manufacturer Raj Swim acquired the label in February 2015.
Do Harold Ford Jr. and Emily Threlkeld have children?
Yes. They have two children, Georgia Walker Ford (born 2013) and Harold Eugene Ford III (born 2015).
