Chanel Rion

Chanel Rion was born Chanel Dayn-Ryan. Her father is Danny Preboth, also known as Danford Dayn-Ryan and David Michael Ryan. Her paternal grandfather, Roland Preboth, was a Baptist minister who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, U.S. Senate, and secretary of state.{{cite news |title=Lt.-Governor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-star/165288850/ |access-date=12 February 2025 |work=The Kansas City Star |date=24 July 1966 |pages=109}}{{cite news |title=Obituary for Roland Preboth |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-wichita-eagle-obituary-for-roland-pr/165288747/ |access-date=12 February 2025 |work=The Wichita Eagle |date=7 November 2005 |pages=10}} Her paternal grandmother, Allene Cunningham, was a Kansas-based psychic.Cunningham, Allene, and Larry Grove. Heaven Sent. January 1, 1976.{{Cite news|last=Tanner|first=Beccy|date=May 3, 2016|title=Wichita's nationally known psychic dies at 94|work=The Wichita Eagle|url=https://www.kansas.com/news/local/article75322442.html|url-status=live|archive-date=October 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201010225830/https://www.kansas.com/news/local/article75322442.html}} Her mother was born in South Korea.{{Cite news |title=Who the hell is Chanel Rion and what was she doing in a Presidential press briefing? |newspaper=AsAm News |date=March 22, 2020 |url=https://asamnews.com/2020/03/22/whos-the-asian-american-reporter-who-asked-president-trump-if-the-term-chinese-food-is-racist/ |access-date=August 27, 2022 |archive-date=August 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220827185715/https://asamnews.com/2020/03/22/whos-the-asian-american-reporter-who-asked-president-trump-if-the-term-chinese-food-is-racist/ |url-status=live}} Rion changed her surname in 2019, prior to applying for a White House press pass.

Rion attended Harvard Extension School, where she was a member of the Anscombe Society, a right-wing student group. At Harvard Extension School she met Courtland Sykes, who would become her husband.

In 2019, Rion was hired by One America News Network (OAN). She was hired after OAN's former White House correspondent Neil McCabe invited Courtland Sykes, by this time Rion's fiancé, for a tour of OAN. McCabe told Sykes that OAN was hiring for a White House correspondent to work weekends and Sykes suggested they hire Rion. Rion did a screen test and was hired.

In October 2019, Rion reported that ex-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and ex-FBI lawyer Lisa Page had an affair. Rion obtained two senior FBI officials as sources who claimed Lisa Page was having the affair and at one time was living with Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. Although Will Sommer of The Daily Beast claimed that OAN retracted the story, citing Jack Posobiec, OAN President Charles Herring stated that the story remains under investigation.{{cite web |last=Sommer |first=Will |title=OAN Faces Criticism Over Coverage |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/oan-retraction-story-jack-posobiec |website=The Daily Beast |access-date=January 26, 2025}} OAN has not retracted the story, as confirmed in a statement on their official social media account.{{cite web |title=Official OAN Statement |url=https://x.com/oann/status/1188853364848644103?s=12 |website=X (formerly Twitter) |date=October 28, 2019}}

Later that year, in December, Rion presented "Revealed: Ukrainian witnesses destroy Schiff's case exclusive with Rudy Giuliani". The two part series, presented on OAN, featured Rion interviewing Rudy Giuliani and various Ukrainian supporters of his, including Yuriy Lutsenko,{{cite news |last1=Vogel |first1=Kenneth |last2=Novak |first2=Benjamin |title=Guiliani returns to Ukraine, and his Ukraine story |date=December 5, 2019}} all of whom support various conspiracy theories related to the Trump–Ukraine scandal.{{cite news |last1=Ecarma |first1=Caleb |title=Trump's Other Favorite Propaganda Outlet Uninvited From Press Briefings |language=en |work=Vanity Fair |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/04/trump-propaganda-outlet-one-america-news-uninvited-briefings |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414102046/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/04/trump-propaganda-outlet-one-america-news-uninvited-briefings |archive-date=April 14, 2020 |access-date=2020-04-21}} During the report, Rion stated without evidence that the liberal philanthropist George Soros had shown up at the Kyiv airport with "human Dobermans in little black Mercedes" to find them—a claim that was ridiculed in Ukrainian and American media.{{cite news|last=Talant|first=Bermet|date=December 9, 2019|title=Right-wing TV channel offers improbable account of Giuliani's visit to Kyiv|work=Kyiv Post|url=https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/right-wing-tv-channel-offers-improbable-account-of-giulianis-visit-to-kyiv.html|url-status=live|url-access=limited|access-date=January 26, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200406211703/https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/right-wing-tv-channel-offers-improbable-account-of-giulianis-visit-to-kyiv.html|archive-date=April 6, 2020}}{{Cite news|last=Bateson|first=Ian|date=December 27, 2019|title=What Rudy Giuliani's version of reality looks like from Ukraine|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/12/27/what-rudy-giulianis-version-reality-looks-like-ukraine/|url-status=live|url-access=limited|access-date=January 26, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20191227223916/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/12/27/what-rudy-giulianis-version-reality-looks-like-ukraine/|archive-date=December 27, 2019}}{{cite tweet|title=It was flattering to have George Soros and Viktor Pinchuk personally waiting for us at the airport last night in Kiev—with their entourage of human Dobermans in little black Mercedes.|last=Rion|first=Chanel|date=December 6, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20191207220330/https://twitter.com/ChanelRion/status/1203069352012070912|archive-date=December 7, 2019|access-date=January 26, 2020|number=1203069352012070912|user=ChanelRion}} Soros was not known to have visited Ukraine since 2016.

In January 2020, OAN named Rion its chief White House correspondent after Emerald Robinson left the company.

In July 2020, the media watchdog Media Matters reported that Rion had appeared on a streaming program that promotes the far-right conspiracy theory QAnon, where she asserted Q's existence and said, "Q is anonymous for a reason, for a very good reason, and I think that people need to respect that."{{Cite web |last=Hananoki |first=Eric |date=July 15, 2020 |title=OAN's Chanel Rion made pro-QAnon remarks on a QAnon program |url=https://www.mediamatters.org/one-america-news-network/oans-chanel-rion-made-pro-qanon-remarks-qanon-program |website=Media Matters for America |access-date=October 2, 2020 |archive-date=October 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002145656/https://www.mediamatters.org/one-america-news-network/oans-chanel-rion-made-pro-qanon-remarks-qanon-program |url-status=live}}

In October 2020, the Borat Twitter account posted footage of Rion and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm star Maria Bakalova, playing the role of the character Tutar, touring the White House press briefing room together and outside of the West Wing. Bakalova asks Rion "Why is all the fake journalist for the left and none on the right?" with the clip ending before Rion can answer.{{cite news|last1=Michallon|first1=Clémence|date=2020-10-23 |title=Borat says pro-Trump channel OAN took his 'daughter' inside the White House|work=Independent|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/borat-daughter-tutar-oan-one-america-news-network-white-house-b1259294.html|url-status=live|access-date=2020-11-13 |archive-date=November 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117093510/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/borat-daughter-tutar-oan-one-america-news-network-white-house-b1259294.html}}{{cite news |last1=Crowley |first1=James |title="Nice Try, Don": Sacha Baron Cohen says Trump referenced same OAN journalist his movie fooled |url=https://www.newsweek.com/borat-sacha-baron-cohen-oan-trump-voter-fraud-conspiracy-1547040 |access-date=2020-11-13 |work=Newsweek |date=2020-11-12 |language=en |archive-date=November 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113161022/https://www.newsweek.com/borat-sacha-baron-cohen-oan-trump-voter-fraud-conspiracy-1547040 |url-status=live}}

In November, during the 2020 United States presidential election, Rion supported Donald Trump's claims of voter fraud, specifically mail-in voting. She also has promoted QAnon conspiracy theories on the air. On November 12, 2020, Trump cited a report by Rion when baselessly accusing an election software maker as having "rigged" the election vote,{{cite web |title=Report: Dominion Deleted 2.7 Million Trump Votes Nationwide. Data Analysis Finds 221,000 Pennsylvania Votes Switched From President Trump to Biden. 941,000 Trump Votes Deleted. States Using Dominion Voting Systems Switched 435,000 Votes From Trump to Biden. |url=https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1326926226888544256 |website=Twitter |access-date=2020-11-15 |language=en |date=2020-11-12 |archive-date=November 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115102232/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1326926226888544256 |url-status=live}} despite the cybersecurity agency in his administration saying the election was secure.{{Cite news|last=Bump|first=Philip|title=Analysis {{!}} Trump grasps at a new set of straws: Computers rigged his election loss|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/12/trump-grasps-new-set-straws-computers-rigged-his-election-loss/|access-date=2020-11-15|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=November 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115032301/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/12/trump-grasps-new-set-straws-computers-rigged-his-election-loss/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Trump spreads baseless claim about Dominion Voting Systems after losing election|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-dominion-voting-systems-false-accusation/|access-date=2020-11-15|website=www.cbsnews.com|date=November 13, 2020 |language=en-US|archive-date=November 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115114730/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-dominion-voting-systems-false-accusation/|url-status=live}}

Rion is the chief operating officer of Voices and Votes, a nonprofit co-operated by fellow OAN personality Christina Bobb. The organization donated $605,000 to support the 2021 Maricopa County presidential ballot audit. The organization also provided volunteers for the audit effort.{{cite news |last1=MacDonald-Evoy |first1=Jerod |last2=June 7 |first2=Arizona Mirror |title=OAN correspondents' organization supplied volunteers for the Arizona "audit" |url=https://www.azmirror.com/2022/06/07/oan-correspondents-organization-supplied-volunteers-for-the-arizona-audit/ |access-date=2022-07-01 |work=Arizona Mirror |date=2022-06-07 |archive-date=September 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902040032/https://www.azmirror.com/2022/06/07/oan-correspondents-organization-supplied-volunteers-for-the-arizona-audit/ |url-status=live}}

In July 2023, as first reported by Politico,{{cite web |title=Politico |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2023/07/26/team-desantis-identity-crisis-00108197 |website=Politico |date=July 26, 2023 |access-date=2023-10-23}} Chanel Rion shifted into a new role for One America News Network as chief national investigator, leaving her role as chief White House correspondent.

In March 2020, Rion hosted Exposing China's Coronavirus: The Fears, the Lies and the Unknown on OAN. During the special, Rion called the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which caused the COVID-19 pandemic, the "Chinese virus". She said that President Donald Trump's response to the pandemic has been "strong" and questioned if the virus came from Wuhan, China, suggesting that there are "clues" that the virus was created in a laboratory in North Carolina.{{cite web |last1=Whitehouse |first1=John |title=Pro-Trump OAN pushes wild conspiracy theory that novel coronavirus was created in a North Carolina lab |url=https://www.mediamatters.org/coronavirus-covid-19/pro-trump-oan-pushes-wild-conspiracy-theory-novel-coronavirus-was-created |website=Media Matters for America |date=March 18, 2020 |access-date=March 31, 2020 |archive-date=March 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200331152828/https://www.mediamatters.org/coronavirus-covid-19/pro-trump-oan-pushes-wild-conspiracy-theory-novel-coronavirus-was-created |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Ellefson |first1=Lindsey |title=OANN's Chanel Rion Says White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham Invited Her Back to Briefing Room |url=https://www.thewrap.com/oanns-chanel-rion-says-white-house-press-secretary-stephanie-grisham-invited-her-back-to-briefing-room/ |access-date=2020-04-21 |work=TheWrap |date=2020-04-02 |archive-date=June 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610142559/https://www.thewrap.com/oanns-chanel-rion-says-white-house-press-secretary-stephanie-grisham-invited-her-back-to-briefing-room/ |url-status=live}}{{cite web |last1=Darcy |first1=Oliver |last2=Acosta |first2=Jim |title=White House Correspondents Association removes far-right outlet from briefing room rotation |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/01/media/oan-far-right-personality-coronavirus-briefing/index.html |website=CNN |date=April 2020 |access-date=2020-04-21 |archive-date=April 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429074807/https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/01/media/oan-far-right-personality-coronavirus-briefing/index.html |url-status=live}} For the latter claim, Rion cited information from a "citizen investigator and a monitored source amongst a certain set of the DC intelligence community"{{Cite news |last=Stanley-Becker |first=Isaac |date=2020-03-27 |title=As Trump signals willingness to break with experts, his base assails Fauci |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-trump-signals-readiness-to-break-with-experts-his-online-base-assails-fauci/2020/03/26/3802de14-6df6-11ea-aa80-c2470c6b2034_story.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=2020-11-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216184105/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-trump-signals-readiness-to-break-with-experts-his-online-base-assails-fauci/2020/03/26/3802de14-6df6-11ea-aa80-c2470c6b2034_story.html |archive-date=February 16, 2021 |id={{ProQuest|2383304141}}}} who was actually a Twitter conspiracy theorist. As she described this individual during a televised report from the White House grounds, an image was displayed of actor Keir Dullea in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Rion also asserted that Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading expert on infectious diseases, had funded the creation of COVID-19.{{cite web |last=Ellefson |first=Lindsey |date=March 19, 2020 |title=One America News' Chanel Rion Asks Trump If 'Chinese Food' Is Racist |url=https://www.thewrap.com/one-america-news-reporter-asks-trump-if-saying-chinese-food-is-racist/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323233411/http://www.thewrap.com/one-america-news-reporter-asks-trump-if-saying-chinese-food-is-racist/ |archive-date=March 23, 2020 |access-date=March 19, 2020 |website=TheWrap}}

During a White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing on March 19, Rion asked Donald Trump if he thought the term "Chinese food is racist because it is food that originated from China." Trump responded "I don't think that's racist at all." Rion followed up suggesting "major left-wing media" had partnered with China to promote "communist party narratives" regarding the coronavirus.{{cite news |last1=Baragona |first1=Justin |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/oan-reporter-chanel-rion-asks-incredibly-bonkers-softball-question-at-trump-coronavirus-presser|publisher=The Daily Beast|title=OAN Reporter Asks Incredibly Bonkers Softball Question at Trump Coronavirus Presser|date=March 19, 2020|access-date=July 22, 2020|archive-date=March 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319231111/https://www.thedailybeast.com/oan-reporter-chanel-rion-asks-incredibly-bonkers-softball-question-at-trump-coronavirus-presser}}{{cite magazine |last1=Levin |first1=Bess |title=Trump, Batshit Reporter Claim "Left-Wing Media" Is in Cahoots With Communists, ISIS on Coronavirus Coverage |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/03/donald-trump-chanel-rion-coronavirus |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=March 19, 2020 |access-date=March 31, 2020 |archive-date=April 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409173028/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/03/donald-trump-chanel-rion-coronavirus |url-status=live}}{{cite web |last1=Pierce |first1=Charles P. |title=It's Time to Quarantine the Crazy Coming Out of the White House |url=https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a31788529/trump-press-briefing-fda-stephen-hahn-chanel-rion/ |website=Esquire |access-date=March 31, 2020 |date=March 19, 2020 |archive-date=March 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327003150/https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a31788529/trump-press-briefing-fda-stephen-hahn-chanel-rion/ |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Porter |first1=Tom |title=A right-wing network beloved by Trump has been banned from White House briefings for violating social-distancing restrictions |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-trump-oann-banned-violated-social-distancing-restrictions-2020-4 |access-date=2020-04-21 |work=Business Insider |archive-date=April 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418174722/https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-trump-oann-banned-violated-social-distancing-restrictions-2020-4 |url-status=live}} Criticism from across the political spectrum was leveled at Rion for the question,{{cite web|author=Concha, Joe|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/488535-oan-reporter-roasted-for-asking-trump-if-saying-chinese-food-is-racist-dumbest|title=OAN reporter roasted for asking Trump if saying 'Chinese food' is racist: 'Dumbest question' ever|newspaper=The Hill|date=March 19, 2020|access-date=July 22, 2020|archive-date=March 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320133359/https://thehill.com/homenews/media/488535-oan-reporter-roasted-for-asking-trump-if-saying-chinese-food-is-racist-dumbest}} which was derided as a "softball" question. During the March 30 Task Force briefing Rion compared "children who are killed by their mothers through elective abortions each day" to the increasing number of Americans dying from the coronavirus.{{cite web |last1=Brechtel |first1=Evan |title=Pro-Trump Reporter Tried Comparing Virus Deaths to Abortion at White House Press Briefing and Even Trump Seemed Freaked Out by the Question |url=https://secondnexus.com/donald-trump-chanel-rion-abortion |website=Second Nexus |access-date=March 31, 2020 |date=March 30, 2020 |archive-date=March 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200331024406/https://secondnexus.com/donald-trump-chanel-rion-abortion |url-status=live}}

On April 1, 2020, the White House Correspondents' Association removed OAN and Rion from the White House briefing room press briefings due to violating the Association's COVID-19 attendance policy. The policy, set forth by the Association and based on the Center for Disease Control COVID-19 guidelines, allows only 14 reporters in the briefing room daily and that all reporters occupy a seat. Correspondents are rotated to ensure all gain access to the briefing while maintaining safe social distancing guidelines. On March 31 and April 1, Rion attended both press briefings when OAN was not on the rotation list. OAN president Charles Herring stated that Rion was invited to participate in the press briefings outside of the White House Correspondent's Association rotation list.{{cite news |last1=Farhi |first1=Paul |title=OANN threatened with removal from White House press room after correspondent Chanel Rion makes unauthorized appearances |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/oann-is-booted-from-white-house-press-room-after-correspondent-chanel-rion-makes-second-unauthorized-appearance/2020/04/01/ae27e19a-7439-11ea-85cb-8670579b863d_story.html |access-date=April 2, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-date=April 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200402165741/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/oann-is-booted-from-white-house-press-room-after-correspondent-chanel-rion-makes-second-unauthorized-appearance/2020/04/01/ae27e19a-7439-11ea-85cb-8670579b863d_story.html |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Stokols |first1=Eli |title=Fox isn't enough: Amid coronavirus crisis, Trump leans on a new media friend |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-04-01/trump-leans-on-new-media-friend |access-date=April 2, 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=April 1, 2020 |archive-date=April 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200401232610/https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-04-01/trump-leans-on-new-media-friend |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Brest |first1=Mike |title='Played by Trump': Social distancing rules at White House briefings fuel resistance from unlikely duo |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/played-by-trump-whca-coronavirus-social-distancing-rules-fuels-resistance-from-unlikely-duo |access-date=2020-04-21 |work=Washington Examiner |date=2020-04-07 |language=en |archive-date=April 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200428045508/https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/played-by-trump-whca-coronavirus-social-distancing-rules-fuels-resistance-from-unlikely-duo |url-status=live}} Rion stated that she was a guest of White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham. The next day, on April 2, Rion returned to the White House briefing room, again, citing Grisham's invitation.{{cite news |last1=Farhi |first1=Paul |title=Chanel Rion of OANN returns to White House briefing in defiance of correspondents' association – and at the White House's invitation |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/chanel-rion-of-oann-returns-to-white-house-briefing-in-defiance-of-correspondents-association--and-at-the-white-houses-invitation/2020/04/02/ee303b0e-751d-11ea-a9bd-9f8b593300d0_story.html |access-date=April 5, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |archive-date=April 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200405021800/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/chanel-rion-of-oann-returns-to-white-house-briefing-in-defiance-of-correspondents-association--and-at-the-white-houses-invitation/2020/04/02/ee303b0e-751d-11ea-a9bd-9f8b593300d0_story.html |url-status=live}}

Rion's August 2020 reporting featured unfounded QAnon claims that pandemic-related shutdowns were increasing human trafficking.

Rion self-publishes political cartoons under the label "The Left Edge". She began drawing political cartoons in 2017. The illustrations often promote right-wing political conspiracy theories, including Pizzagate and that Hillary Clinton killed Seth Rich.{{cite news |last1=Lowry |first1=Bryan |title=Pro-Trump candidate in Missouri pairs images of a riot with warnings on immigration |url=https://www.kansascity.com/article175724311.html |access-date=April 8, 2020 |work=The Kansas City Star |archive-date=August 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200817040433/https://www.kansascity.com/article175724311.html |url-status=live}} Her work also criticizes public figures, including Harry Reid and James Comey.{{cite news |last1=Sommer |first1=Will |date=December 5, 2019 |title=Rudy Giuliani Teams Up With a Seth Rich Conspiracy Theorist to Save Trump |work=The Daily Beast |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/rudy-giuliani-teams-up-with-seth-rich-conspiracy-theorist-chanel-rion-to-save-trump |url-status=live |access-date=March 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319181436/https://www.thedailybeast.com/rudy-giuliani-teams-up-with-seth-rich-conspiracy-theorist-chanel-rion-to-save-trump |archive-date=March 19, 2020 |quote=Now he's placing a big bet on Chanel Rion, a One America News host who dabbles in bizarre conspiracy theories.}}

As of 2014, she worked as managing editor at a small publishing press owned by her sister Channing that published works by the Ryan family. She has written young adult fiction novels for young women.{{cite news |last1=Sommer |first1=Will |title=Rudy Giuliani Teams Up With a Seth Rich Conspiracy Theorist to Save Trump |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/rudy-giuliani-teams-up-with-seth-rich-conspiracy-theorist-chanel-rion-to-save-trump |website=The Daily Beast |publisher=The Daily Beast Company LLC |access-date=2020-05-16 |date=December 5, 2019 |archive-date=March 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319181436/https://www.thedailybeast.com/rudy-giuliani-teams-up-with-seth-rich-conspiracy-theorist-chanel-rion-to-save-trump |url-status=live}}

In December 2020, OAN and Rion were included as defendants in a defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems executive Eric Coomer, alongside other outlets such as Newsmax and The Gateway Pundit.{{Cite web |last=Stracqualursi |first=Veronica |date=2020-12-23 |title=Voting machine company executive sues Trump allies for defamation |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/23/politics/dominion-voting-executive-defamation-lawsuit/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121010735/https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/23/politics/dominion-voting-executive-defamation-lawsuit/index.html |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |access-date=2022-11-24 |website=CNN |language=en}}{{Cite web |last1=Sneed |first1=Tierney |last2=Cohen |first2=Marshall |date=2023-09-05 |title=Far-right network OAN settles 2020 election defamation suit brought by ex-Dominion executive |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/05/media/dominion-exec-oan-lawsuit-settlement/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230906012504/https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/05/media/dominion-exec-oan-lawsuit-settlement/index.html |archive-date=September 6, 2023 |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=CNN |language=en}} Coomer asserted that the defendants had characterized him as a "traitor" and that as a result he was subjected to "multiple credible death threats".{{Cite news |date=December 22, 2020 |title=Dominion worker sues Trump campaign and conservative media |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/22/dominion-worker-lawsuit-trump-campaign-450212 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107035716/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/22/dominion-worker-lawsuit-trump-campaign-450212 |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=January 25, 2021 |work=Politico |agency=Associated Press}}{{cite news |last=Naham |first=Matt |date=December 23, 2020 |title=Dominion Employee Sues Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Trump Campaign and Right-Wing Media for Dragging His Name Through the Mud |url=https://www.mediaite.com/election-2020/dominion-employee-sues-sidney-powell-rudy-giuliani-trump-campaign-and-right-wing-media-for-dragging-his-name-through-the-mud/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223185328/https://www.mediaite.com/election-2020/dominion-employee-sues-sidney-powell-rudy-giuliani-trump-campaign-and-right-wing-media-for-dragging-his-name-through-the-mud/ |archive-date=December 23, 2020 |access-date=January 25, 2021 |website=Mediaite}} OAN and Rion reached a settlement with Coomer in August 2023.

In August 2021, Rion was named in a $1.6bn defamation lawsuit by Dominion against OAN for promoting false claims that it had engaged in election fraud during the 2020 United States presidential election.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-10 |title=Dominion ballot counting company is personally suing two OAN on-air reporters over election 'lies' in $1.6bn suit |url=https://www.indy100.com/news/dominion-ballot-counting-suing-oan-b1900144 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822154651/https://www.indy100.com/news/dominion-ballot-counting-suing-oan-b1900144 |archive-date=August 22, 2021 |access-date=2021-09-26 |website=www.indy100.com |language=en}}{{Cite news |last1=Pruitt-Young |first1=Sharon |date=August 10, 2021 |title=The 2020 Election is Back in Court, as Dominion Sues Conservative Media Outlets |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/08/10/1026509404/dominion-sues-conservative-media-oan-newsmax-2020-election?t=1629645584617 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230030112/https://www.npr.org/2021/08/10/1026509404/dominion-sues-conservative-media-oan-newsmax-2020-election?t=1629645584617 |archive-date=December 30, 2022 |access-date=August 22, 2021 |newspaper=NPR}}{{Cite web |date=2021-08-10 |title=Dominion Sues Right-Wing Networks OAN and Newsmax Over 'Race to the Bottom' Election Fraud Conspiracy Theories |url=https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/dominion-sues-right-wing-networks-oan-and-newsmax-over-race-to-the-bottom-election-fraud-conspiracy-theories/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822153149/https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/dominion-sues-right-wing-networks-oan-and-newsmax-over-race-to-the-bottom-election-fraud-conspiracy-theories/ |archive-date=August 22, 2021 |access-date=2021-09-26 |website=Law & Crime |language=en}}

In December 2021, Rion was named in a defamation lawsuit by former Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea' ArShaye Moss against OAN for broadcasting conspiracy theories about them engaging in voter fraud.{{Cite web |last=Helmore |first=Edward |date=2021-12-24 |title=Ex-Georgia election workers sue Giuliani and OAN, saying fraud claims put them in danger |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/24/ex-georgia-election-workers-sue-giuliani-oan-trump-conspiracy-theory |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111114532/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/24/ex-georgia-election-workers-sue-giuliani-oan-trump-conspiracy-theory |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |access-date=2022-01-09 |website=The Guardian |language=en}} A settlement was reached in April 2022.{{Cite news |last=Allen |first=Jonathan |date=2022-04-22 |title=Two Atlanta poll workers settle defamation lawsuit against One America |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/two-atlanta-poll-workers-settle-defamation-lawsuit-against-one-america-2022-04-21/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512154046/https://www.reuters.com/world/us/two-atlanta-poll-workers-settle-defamation-lawsuit-against-one-america-2022-04-21/ |archive-date=May 12, 2022 |access-date=2022-05-08 |work=Reuters |language=en}}

Rion and Sykes traveled across the United States following Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election, attending rallies and other campaign events.

In 2017–2018, Sykes unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for a Senate seat in Missouri on a pro-Trump, America First platform.{{cite news |last1=Suntrup |first1=Jack |title=Missouri's mystery U.S. Senate candidate |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/courtland-sykes-mystery-u-s-senate-candidate-from-missouri-offers/article_4fcd52e1-367d-5930-9eeb-683551e47bad.html |access-date=April 8, 2020 |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |date=October 8, 2017 |archive-date=April 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424234721/https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/courtland-sykes-mystery-u-s-senate-candidate-from-missouri-offers/article_4fcd52e1-367d-5930-9eeb-683551e47bad.html |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Missouri_(August_7,_2018_Republican_primary) |title=United States Senate election in Missouri (August 7, 2018 Republican primary)|website=Ballotpedia |access-date=April 11, 2020 |archive-date=November 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107101005/https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_Missouri_(August_7,_2018_Republican_primary) |url-status=live}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.chanelrion.com}}
• [https://www.wordebys.com/ Wordeby's], Rion's language project
• [https://x.com/ChanelRion Chanel Rion] on X

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rion, Chanel}}

Category:1990 births

Category:Living people

Category:American caricaturists

Category:American women caricaturists

Category:American editorial cartoonists

Category:American women editorial cartoonists

Category:American writers of Korean descent

Category:Harvard Extension School alumni

Category:American women illustrators

Category:American conspiracy theorists

Category:American children's writers

Category:Candidates in the 2018 United States elections

Category:21st-century American women artists

Category:One America News personalities

Category:COVID-19 conspiracy theorists