Samantha Brown built her name by bringing energy and charm to the screen, leading viewers through some of Travel Channel’s most exciting series. She explored Hawaii’s lush landscapes in Girl Meets Hawaii, unlocked local secrets in Passport to China, and tackled the fast pace of Asia in Samantha Brown’s Asia.
Off camera, there’s more to her story. She has been happily married to Kevin O’Leary since October 10, 2006.
Let’s get a closer look at her relationship with Kevin and their family together.
The Couple Had To Take a Career Break To Have Kids
Samantha and Kevin had been dreaming of starting a family for ages, but Brown’s travel show kept them constantly on the move, which wasn’t ideal for having a baby. Samantha later took a break to focus on family life.
In a 2012 interview with CNN, the TV host announced the couple was expecting twins, “When we found out it was twins, we just felt so blessed because we thought we would only have one child.”
On January 17, 2013, the two welcomed their twins, Christopher D. and Elsie Mae. Brown humorously referred to their arrival as a “two for one” deal.
Four years after becoming a mother, Brown took a moment to reflect on Facebook about the rollercoaster ride that is motherhood. She posted, “Four years ago today, Kevin and I welcomed Christopher and Elsie into our world. It’s been a wild mix of tough and terrific moments ever since.”
Her Perception of Travelling With Kids Changed Over The Years
Before Samantha had kids, she was already gearing up to hit the road with them. She had a cool idea for a web series that would show the nitty-gritty of traveling with little ones—the tantrums, the spills, and all the real-life drama that comes with it. She wanted to keep it real and show that she was not perfect, thinking people would appreciate seeing the struggle.
Fast forward to life after babies, and she quickly realized that motherhood was a whole different journey. Just two months postpartum, she went back to work, which hit harder than expected. She confessed in a February 2023 interview with People,
[I gave] myself that mental break from always being perfect because when I was traveling, [I thought] ‘I’m really good at traveling, and then all of a sudden you become a mom and you’re like, ‘I’m really bad at being a mom.’
Going back to work, though tough, was her way of finding her confidence again—she needed that part of her life to feel grounded and herself.
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Reflecting on her previous travel advice, she now laughs about how off-base it was. “I always say that having kids was punishment for all the traveling with kids advice I gave before I had kids because I had no idea what I was talking about,” she admitted in the same interview.
Having kids gave her a new perspective, making her realize that her pre-mom advice on traveling with kids was pretty flimsy. She even joked that having kids was like payback for all the simplistic advice she gave before experiencing the real deal.
Samantha and Kevin Are an Enduring Duo
Almost two decades later, Samantha and Kevin are still going strong. Kevin is not only a supportive husband but also his wife’s travel companion, always by her side through all their journeys.
On September 24, 2022, Brown celebrated her hubby’s 50th birthday on Facebook, writing,
Kevin, is the best person I know. He’s an amazing father, son, brother, son in law, washer of dishes, fixer or electronics, humane disposer of mice, He’s tech support, a narrator of the entire Harry Potter book series, makes a mean paella.
Currently, the family of four resides in Brooklyn, New York.
